In A Land Far Far Away
by Dashed
Summary: Emma Swan expected to spend her birthday alone not with a kid claiming to be her son and certainly not being dragged into the land of fairytales and held prisoner by an Evil Queen. Swan Queen Emma/Regina.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own them blah blah.

Rating: I would call it T for now but it will probably go up in rating in later chapters.

XxXx

Emma's first action after coming in from a night of wrangling bail cheats was to pour herself a glass of scotch. She idly flung her purse on the sofa and lent against the window frame. Across the street was a giant bill board advertising Beauty and the Beast. _Dare to_ _Believe in Happy Ever After_. She rolled her eyes and drained her glass.

Another birthday alone, she sighed crossing over to her tiny kitchen counter to blow out the tiny candle on her store bought cupcake. Her eyes flickered back to the bill board before she snorted and flicked the candle in the bin.

"Hello?" her door banged just as she took a bite of the cup cake. She frowned and crossed to open the door.

"Hi there," a brown haired little boy grinned up at her before pushing past her. "I've been waiting on you all night."

"Whoa kid! Anyone tell you its dangerous to barge into strangers apartments?" Emma said following the kid confused "not to mention rude."

"You're not a stranger, you're my mom," the boy said seating himself on one of her kitchen stools and taking off his yellow backpack.

And just like that Emma Swan's story really began.

XxXx

"You can't be serious," Emma frowned at the child with her eyebrow raised sceptically "you're trying to tell me that I'm a princess descended from Snow White and Prince Charming but that a curse sent me here to this world by an Evil Queen to punish them and you're my son who's also a prince?"

"Yeah," the kid, Henry apparently, nodded "obviously I'm a prince since you're a princess and my mom, duh."

"Kid that is just plain crazy," Emma stared him down dumbfounded that anyone could believe this crap.

"I already gave you the tests results. Our DNA matches and your name is listed on the adoption forms," Henry impatiently waved towards the papers on the counter.

"Okay, those I'll give you for now until I can check it out myself," Emma nodded to the papers. How reliable was an internet agency anyway. "The adoption was supposed to be a closed one so i don't know how you got a hold of those papers."

"They were sent to me along with this," Henry pulled out a thick book that had seen better days from his backpack and set it on the island with a thud. Emma lent over to get a better look at the book suddenly glad she had changed. When she had first come home she had been in her red dress that made her cleavage and legs look like they were both determined to win the most skin award along with her fuck me heels. Both things she didn't feel right wearing in front of a ten year old regardless if he turned out to be her son or not. She opted for her more comfortable attire of white tank top comfortable jeans and her long boots that stopped just under the knee plus her red leather jacket because she had every intention of taking this kid home.

"It's just a fairy tale book," Emma shook her head not seeing the importance.

"It's more than that," Henry's voice was begging her to understand "it's the truth," he said earnestly.

The way he looked at her, they had the same eyes. Well not completely, his were earnest and vulnerable. Soft in a way she hadn't been in years. "Okay kid, if you say so," she looked away "I've got to get you back home. Where do you live?"

"I'm not going back there!" Henry snapped "you don't know what my life is like! It's a horrible mess and it's not supposed to be! This is my chance to change it!"

"Things don't change!" She snapped herself whipping her head back to pin Henry with her cutting gaze "life's horrible kid! It doesn't get better! The only thing that changes is the horror! You just have to find the one you can live with!" She stood up kicking the stool back so hard it fell over. She grabbed the story book and the boy's bag that was still in his lap trying to pack his crap away. "Don't tell me your life is hard, sitting there in your nice clothes with your round cheeks and good shoes! You don't know what hard is."

"Yes I do! You have to believe me-!" Henry began to fight with her over the bag and book until they both had a hold of them "this is our chance to change it all and have a happy ending! If only you would-!"

"-There's no such thing as a happy-!" Emma cried out as they both tugged at the book ripping it. She was knocked back as a white light seemed to pour out of the book and punch her in the face.

XxXx

"...Uhhnnn, oww," Emma groaned as she lifted a heavy hand to shield her eyes against the sun. Her hand flopped down over her eyes and she groaned as she basically hit herself in the face. It all came rushing back to her and she jerked upright "Henry? Henry?"

She looked about furiously. They seemed to be in the middle of a forest road and in the middle of the day judging by how strong the sun shone. She was still clutching a yellow backpack and lying in the white gravel a little further away from her was half the kids torn book. Sprawled on the other side of the road was Henry.

"Kid!" She yelled scrambling up and stumbling over to him still unsteady on her feet. "Kid, are you alright? Jesus Christ still be breathing," she prayed falling down and pressing an ear to his chest.

"Oh thank God," she breathed as Henry groaned.

"What happened?" He asked as she helped him to sit up.

"I was kinda hoping you could tell me," She said looking around the forest at a loss.

"We're here!" Henry shouted suddenly energised and scrambling to his feet with his half of the book in his hand. "Look! Look! It's just like the forest in the book!" He said excitedly flicking through the pages before thrusting his half at her and running to pick up the other discarded bit.

Emma studying the pictures in the book and there was indeed a forest "it looks like every other forest kid, green and with trees."

Henry wrinkled his face at her in an expression she had never seen before. She definitely couldn't be his mother. There was no way she could make a face like that. "Don't be so cynical. Have you a better explanation why we're in the middle of a forest in daylight when we were in your city apartment at night?" He sounded so smug she wanted to clip his ears.

"Well," she cast furiously around in her mind for an explanation but had to give up with shrug "we could be dead," she said in a sudden last ditch effort. Henry looked at her dead pan and she conceded that that had been an idiotic thing to say. "Well what do we do now?" Wait why was she asking a ten year old?

"We find Snow White and Prince Charming," Henry said without hesitating making his way back to her. He took the backpack from her and put the ripped book in it before zipping it up with a determined nod.

"Okay kid," Emma rolled her eyes "this is what we're actually going to do. I'm still not convince we're in the fairy place but we need to find a village or someplace with people and find out where we are. We can make a real plan after that," she muttered the last bit to herself.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," she swore to god that the kid sounded like he was patronising her "this way!" He sat off down the road.

"Hey! Why that way!" She called after him.

"Because we're the hero's they don't get lost," he called back. Yep, definitely patronising. Little shit. She ran to catch up with him anyway.

XxXx

"...and then when we get to the palace they'll see who we are and throw a big parade and a welcome home party," Henry said swinging a stick he'd pick up somewhere along the road.

"Sure, kid," she agreed automatically still looking around the road. She didn't like the forest. She was a city girl through and through and couldn't shake the feeling that something was hiding in the trees. "Any idea when this is going to happen, I'm starved."

"Here," Henry said taking a chocolate bar out of his backpack and offering it to her "I was going to save it for later but I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Oh," she went quiet and took it with surprise. "Thanks," she said looking at him a little stunned. He smiled back widely and continued on swinging his stick.

"Don't worry something's bound to happen. Hero's don't get to go walking in the woods without something happening," she was sure that was supposed to be reassuring from the look on the kids face but it had the opposite effect.

"Look! Something exciting!" Henry pointed forward and she tore her gaze away from him to look.

"Crap I had to say something didn't I?" She said grabbing hold of Henry's shoulder and leading him off the road as four horsemen made their way towards them. They were all riding black horses and wearing black. Not the best thing to wear if they wanted to blend into the forest. Her grip tightened on Henry.

Well she wanted to talk to people but judging them purely on looks these weren't the sort that would be helpful. They drew closer and she could see they were actually wearing armour and had honest to goodness swords and bows on their back. Two even carried spears.

Best case scenario she had been blow across country and landed in a renaissance fair or in the middle of some hard core LARPing action or worst case the boy was totally right and they were in the book and those guys would be the stereotypical bad guys. She eyed the riders and glared. When had she ever been dealt the best case scenario?

"Henry get off the road," She ordered pushing him ahead of her.

"What? Why?" he asked resisting a little.

"I don't like the look of these guys," she gave him a hard jerk to stop him fighting and more roughly thrust him forward into the forest.

"Halt!"

"Shit," she mumbled tempted to pick the boy up and sprint into an all out run.

"Stop in the name of the Queen!"

An arrow whizzed past her but they were almost at the trees. Horses couldn't follow them into the trees could they? Pain exploded at the side of her head and she was sent staggering.

"Emma!" she heard the cry a little fuzzily as her vision swam.

"Well done scout," She was grabbed roughly and spun around to face a broad black chest. Her double vision faded so that she was looking at only one armoured man with too much eye shadow and gorgeous high cheekbones that were wasted on men. "What do we have here?"

"They're dressed strangely, sir," A man still on horseback offered.

"You're one to talk," Henry snapped wriggling against the man that was holding him. He was holding a sling so he must have been the same bastard that had smacked her on the side of her head.

"Shut up brat!" The man cuffed Henry around the ears.

"Leave him alone," she growled. She wasn't letting anyone hit the kid especially since she hadn't got to.

"I would be more worried why you were trespassing on Her Majesty's private road," the man holding her give her a shake to bring her attention back to him. He had a stupidly tall metal hat helmet thing so she assumed he was the leader.

"Please," she said trying to seem placating. Not her strong suit. "We were out for a walk and got lost. That's all. If you could put us back on the right road we'd be grateful. We didn't mean any harm."

"Out for a walk?" the leader sneered "to where? the closest village is two days away."

Emma thought furiously but couldn't come up with a name. Her eyes darted to Henry hoping he had some telepathic powers that he just hadn't used yet and could send her a name of a fairytale village. "We've been lost for days. I don't know these parts so well."

The leaders eyes narrowed but it was one of the men still on horseback that spoke up. "Them funny clothes, they could be from the South. Strange fashion they gots down there."

"If they're from the south that means they're Snow White's spies," The leader let go off one of her arms and started to drag her to his horse. "Search them."

She snapped her free hand down on his weakened grip and drove her elbow into the leader's neck. He stumbled back spluttering and holding his throat. The two men on horse back made frantic moves to dismount but she was already charging the guy still holding Henry. "Run Henry!" she cried as she tackled him.

"Emma!"

_Go!_ She thought as she wrestled with the much heavier man. She wouldn't be able to hold him for-a boot to her side sent her sprawling and another soon followed.

"Get the bitch!" Came a horse cry before more booted feet rained down.

"Leave her alone!"

"Away, brat!" the sound of a smack was heard.

"Captain look at this! The book! Isn't it-"

"Fire and tar, it is!" there was a sudden stop in the pain before her head was yanked back and she saw the grinning face of the Captain. "You're going to wish we had killed you."

She was always doing rash things. Being impulsive had made her homeless at fourteen and pregnant at twenty but it hadn't killed her. So why stop now? She head butted him and broke his nose. "Bet you wish you didn't get so close to me, huh?" Was the last thing she remembered for a long time.

XxXx

She had been in enough handcuffs to know when her hands were restrained by them even if they were behind her back. These cuffs felt heavier and seemed to be linked to her feet that were being dragged limply across the floor. Two men held her at either side and she could just about make out the Captain stalking ahead of them his cape snapping imperiously behind him.

"...'s so gay," she mumbled her lips feeling twice their size and weight. Her face was swollen on one side and she couldn't really open her left eye. But she was alive and she had got used to calling that a win long ago.

She was relieved to hear Henry insulting the guards behind her. Not the smartest thing in the world to do. He could be her son after all then.

"Your Highness forgive my interruption but I've found something that I think you would be keenly interested in," the Captains voice took on a smooth quality that he obviously saved for sucking up Emma thought.

"'Keenly interested?' Captain Azzeazal you are more of an idiot than I thought if you assume you have any idea of what would 'keenly interest' me." Now that voice was worth taking note off. It was rich and dangerous wrapped in smooth silk that took on a cutting edge as she addressed the Captain. "But let's hope I've overestimated you idiocy as your wagering your life by interrupting me and my honoured guest by assuming you know what 'keenly interests' me."

"Ah, yes," Emma could hear the Captain swallow as he lost his nerve. But something told her that he couldn't back out now. He thought so too and with a clench of his fist and a nod to himself he stood aside and unveiled her to the Queens eyes.

_Evil Queen you've just won yourself a brand new beat up bail bondsman! And that's not all! You've also won her might be, might not, biological son! Careful he's prone to boughts of delusion...just like his mother wouldn't you say?_

The game show voice went spiralling through Emma's fogged up head before she could stop it. Maybe she had a concussion. Or was crazy.

"And what's this?" The Queen drew herself upright looking unimpressed with her. That's fine she wasn't so impressed herself. The Evil Queen because who else could it be, dressed in all black including leather pants, a corset and what looked like a cape with matching guards and a sneer that could strip paint? Her luck wouldn't allow her to be anyone else.

"It's not them my Queen, it's what they had with them," the Captain pulled out both halves of the book from Henry's backpack and the Queen gasped.

"It seems Captain," she murmured laying a hand reverently on the books cover "that you are not as big an idiot as I had imagined."

"My Queen," He sounded so pleased at that that if Emma could have she would have rolled her eyes.

"Its ripped and some pages seem to be missing but it is the 'Fairy Tale Anthology.' I thought the light had lost that years ago but lo' and behold here it sits in my grasp," her smile was small and more for herself but sent chills down Emma's spine maybe because of that. "You said they had it?"

Her gaze turned towards Emma suddenly and she wished she was in better shape to meet the challenge. The Evil Queen looked her up and down assessing her and Emma glared back at her the only defiant thing she could do at the moment. The Queen didn't seem impressed.

"And who are they?" The Queen's tone was idle and ponderous.

"We found them on your private road just before the royal orchard, you Highness," the Captain eagerly filled in the story of their encounter. Left out the bit where she broke his nose she noticed.

"They are dressed is strange," The Queen noted after he had finished.

"Well, your pony tail is stupid," she shot back. The Queen's head jerked in surprise at being insulted.

"Seriously?" Henry shot at her. His face conveying that insulting the Evil Queen might not be the smartest thing to do. Well tough, she either had a concussion or a death wish either way it impaired her rational thoughts.

"Obviously guardsman you didn't hit her hard enough," The Queen sneered before turning her back and seating herself in a chair that had been turned to face them. They seemed to be in a parlour of sorts but it was all black and white with the only colour coming from the roaring fire that the Queens back was now to. Another chair was still facing the fire and it was towards that the Queen turned. "What do you make of this Maleficent, dear?"

"Me? Oh, nothing," Came a much sweeter voice that sent all the hairs on Emma's arms to stand up. The other witch sounded bored but that just made Emma straighten up wearily. The guard on her left smacked her across the head at the movement. "I've retired from all this political hoo ha, you know that dear."

"Indulge me," The Queen's voice held steel and it was obvious that there was no choice involved.

"Very well," the other woman sighed with faked indulgence "for my _oldest_ friend of course," she stood up and turned. The other woman was a mass of blonde curls and had a crown of curved horns on her head. She dressed in various degrees of purple robes and seemed to float towards Emma.

"Whoa," Henry echoed her thoughts.

Maleficent smiled at him enjoying his stunned look. "Now let's see what we have here," she said before crouching down. She folded her skirts about herself before she took Emma's face in her hand. "Let her go, you hulking lugs are in my light," immediately the guards released her but she didn't fall forward like she expected she would. Instead she floated there suspended by Maleficent's light touch.

"Better," she murmured softly. Her eyes were a deep dark blue and her lips were pink like they had just been bit. Emma wanted to "ah-ah," Maleficent drew away gently. Had she just tried to kiss-? No! No way. She must have suffered worse trauma than she thought.

"Laying it on a bit thick aren't we dear? They're not used to your cloying presence," The Queen called from her chair and Emma could feel her glare.

Maleficent's eyes flashed with annoyance before going back to their dark waters. "You're just mad I've never taught you that trick." The Queen huffed dismissively behind her. "Anyway," Maleficent said pointedly "let's clean your face up a bit sweetie and see what you are."

Emma could feel a tingling as Maleficent's other hand stroked her face softly. Eventually her head began to clear and she could feel the swelling in her face going down. "There now all better," Maleficent smiled. The smile dropped abruptly and she drew away. Emma immediately felt the loss of warmth and wanted to cry out. Shear force of will stopped her. That wasn't good. She didn't like being told what to do never mind how to feel. She frowned furiously at the other woman who now drew back.

"What? What is it?" The Queen leaned forward eagerly clearly reading her friends body language.

"Look at her, look at her face," Maleficent looked back and forth between her and the Queen. "All of you get out!" She whirled on the guards and there was a blast as they flew backwards. Emma's hair was blown back but the force seemed to flow around her and Henry rather than at them. There was a loud bang as the doors were slammed shut leaving only the Queen, Captain Azzeazal and Maleficent in the room with them.

"There had better be a good reason for you using your magic on my guards, Maleficent or I'll have your head on my battlements friend or no!" The Queen surged to her feet but Maleficent simply drew back her body once again regaining her floating playfulness.

"Oh, dear, after you see the resemblance you will be thanking me that we're the only ones who know," her eyes flickered to Captain Azzeazal "you're still here Captain because that book you hold nullifies all magic. Decide dear if you trust him enough to hear this."

The Queen cast her eyes over the Captain who stood ridged with tension before she nodded. "He has always been loyal to me."

"And I always will My Queen," he said with an oily bow.

Emma did rolled her eyes this time. "Same mannerisms too," Maleficent smiled catching her eye roll she went to stand behind Emma and Emma felt hands run through her hair combing it away from her face. "Now picture this pretty face with those gorgeous cheek bones and scowling mouth but with brown hair and without that likable chin dimple."

"Maleficent," The Queen growled warningly.

"She's Snow Whites daughter," Maleficent grinned at the sudden dead silence "told you it was for a good reason."

XxXx

A/N hey everyone! I love this show and I really wanted to read Swan Queen fic. This fic is going to be rather long so I hope no one is put off. It will be finished I have all the plans worked out. They only thing I'm really dreading is if they make Regina and Emma related on the show (The Queen is usually Snow's mother in most tails) if that does happen I'm just going to curse the writers and ignore it until I finish the fic. I hope you will too! R&R!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to everyone that reviewed, you guys are awesome. I didn't expect people to be this enthused in the fic. Glad to be wrong. But yeah, original Brothers Grim had the Queen and Snow as mother and daughter. My neighbours heard my cheer at last week episode when they established step mother. I honestly don't think I could write incest.

The next chapter just need proof read and then I'll upload it hopefully Tuesday or Wednesday. I have a test on Monday.

XxXx

"Allow me to kill the daughter of my Queen's nemeses!" Captain Azzeazel had already drawn his sword.

"STOP!" the command sent the guard to his knees and made Emma flinch.

The Queen flicked her cape out of her way and seemed to draw the fire from the hearth into her eyes as the whole room darkened. Emma couldn't tear her gaze away from the enraged monarch. The Queen grabbed her by the throat and with no effort raised her so that her feet kicked uselessly in the air making her chains rattle.

"Emma! Let her go!" Henry ran to her rescue but was suddenly scooped up by an older man that just appeared from nowhere.

"Don't boy, the state she's in she might just kill you too," the old man warned but Henry continued to struggle.

"Physical violence, really dear?" Maleficent sounded patronising "the daughter of your greatest foe and your immediate reaction is to just kill her?"

"Unlike you Maleficent, I learned my lesson on delayed satisfaction," The Queen growled her grip tightening. Her dark painted fingernails were digging deeply into Emma's neck as she struggled.

"But just like me dear, you're not stupid," Maleficent dared to approach her talking directly into her ear "there must have been a reason she was sent here along with one of the most powerful books in our world. Besides, dear, you want to inflict the greatest pain imaginable on Snow this won't achieve that aim."

The Queen's eyes flickered to Maleficent but she didn't ease her grip. "It's true that to lose one's child is simply an unbearable thought to a parent," the old man said "but Snow thinks she's already been through that. Killing this woman would have no more impact on her than killing a stranger. Please, my child, let her go."

Her grip wavered.

"She's my mom," Henry added looking stern and also terrified but his gaze didn't waver from the Queen.

That seem to reach the Queen and with a sneer she roughly let Emma fall to the ground where she laid coughing and spluttering. "Captain Azzeazal, put them in the dungeon. It seems that I'll have to find a proper use for them."

"Wonderful my dear!" Maleficent clapped her hands "now we can start planning the fun bit," she smiled darkly.

XxXx

The dungeon was three walls of thick stone and about as wide as Emma was tall. She reckoned she could lie flat and have her feet and head touch the side walls without any difficulty. The last wall was thick metal bars where a guard sat in a chair facing them unblinkingly.

At least they took off the cuffs, she thought rubbing her sore wrists as Henry paced back and forth in the small space. "We have to get out of here and reach Snow," he whispered eyes darting to the ever watching guard. He was probably going to watch them sleep which was just creepy, Emma found.

"And how do we escape from the castle of an Evil Queen, surrounded by her minions and then a forest that goes on who knows how long?" Emma asked flopping down on one of the side walls. She can't believe she just said that let alone believed every word.

"I don't know, fake sick?" Henry frowned and it was Emma's turn to look at him deadpan. He didn't notice as he began to pace again and Emma noticed that his hands were trembling. He was scared. _Well, duh_, she thought annoyed at herself for taking this long to catch on to such a basic thing, he's a kid trapped in what is probably one of his nightmares after a long day of travelling across worlds from god knows where, _of course he's frightened, Swan, you idiot_.

"Listen kid you're right, but right now we have to bide our time for the right opportunity which will come along. We're the hero's right?" She lied.

Henry stopped pacing and she saw his lip trembling unconsciously. Hers used to do that too when she was afraid. "Right," he nodded physically getting a hold of himself with more maturity than a ten year old should have at this age. Maybe his life wasn't all sunshine and roses if he'd learned to do that.

Emma wanted to frown but instead give him a shaky smile. It was the best she could manage at the end of a long day violence where she had been on the losing end both times. "Hey , c'mere," she reached out to him patting her thigh "you seem to be the brains of the outfit, so why don't you get some sleep. You're going to need it."

There was a brief struggle on Henry's face before an expression of yearning overtook it and he snuggled against Emma's side. A little startled, she didn't mean for that much contact, Emma didn't resist as Henry put his arm around himself. He was very small curled up like that. "Emma, will this be safe?"

"Of course kid, I'll be watching over you," she tightened her grip and hoped he put the hoarseness of her throat down to her strangulation.

"Goodnight mom," he whispered quietly to himself but she heard him all the same_. I'm not your mom_, she wanted to say be even she wasn't that cruel.

XxXx

"Tell me Mirror, is she who we think she is?" The Queen stood squarely in front of the Magic Mirror who's green flames flickered and came to life. A face hovered in the flames with a wide smile it's only feature.

"_Its dear Snow White whose heart you crave_

_But true loves kiss destroyed that grave_

_And sadly she's not yours to slaughter,_

_But now's your chance,_

_You can have her daughter_," the Mirror intoned darkly his smile turning twisted. "Yes in other words."

She stood a long time before the Mirror before forcing herself to turn away. "So, what will I do with them since you are both clearly set on me not killing the woman," the Evil Queen asked as she walked towards her Father and Maleficent who both sat by the fire.

"Bed her," Maleficent answered as though the question was obvious.

"That is your answer to everything," The Queen rolled her eyes taking her seat next to her Fathers stool.

"Any why not? She's pretty. Think of Snow Whites face when you bring her child before you and she chooses you over her? Then you can defile her right in front of all the boring lot," Maleficent smiled at her own imaginings seeming far away.

"She's had a child, I don't think there's anything to defile," the Queen snorted.

"How plain and unimaginative you are Regina," Maleficent shook her head disappointed.

"If I may interject? " Her Father said from his stool "she is no threat to you my daughter, so why not keep her prisoner? She is a stranger to this world, escape might be the more difficult and dangerous option than your hospitality."

"She's Snow Whites child, when has that family ever done what's best for them?" Maleficent chipped in "the woman will bolt like a rabbit, the moment your guards get idle and leave the door open. Take her as your slave, might as well get something out of it," she picked up her wine glass and swirled it slowly. "She'll probably lead the child straight into a Trolls lair and bye bye problem."

The Queens eyes narrowed "she would be the type of idiot that would get the boy killed," she stared into the fire weighing all her options. It seemed fate had given her the children of her greatest enemy to do with as she wished. Fate was usually not so kind. Her eyes flickered to the book that she had made the Captain leave on a bookstand just out of the fires light.

"That is all the more reason we should keep them here, but in better conditions so they do not feel the need to run," her Father argued softly.

"Do not let your fondness for children get in the way of this opportunity," Maleficent snapped at both of them. "Take her heart, make her your slave and parade her up to Snows door. It worked well when you did it to the Huntsman. She cried for days over that."

The Queen stopped listening to them both and made her way to the book. The 'Fairy Tale Anthology' was extremely powerful, so how did it rip? How did that woman come back from a world that she had sent her to as a child? Why had she come? And now what was she to do with her_? So many questions to answer_, she thought as she dragged her fingertips lightly over the book. There was no point in reading it. It would just be blank to her.

"Her arrival has not changed anything," she turned abruptly cutting off the argument behind her "there is still the Magic Circle to plan for and a kingdom to rule. Snow's daughter will keep until then. After all, rushing would be a foolish thing to do," she smiled at them ironically. She should have just killed the woman. "And you, my dear friend, must be off home."

"Sadly, that is true. If I'm away too long the minions start having terrible thoughts like free will and unions," Maleficent stood and shrugged helplessly "what can you do? It is a pity though, that I couldn't stay and help you with such a delightful problem."

"A real pity," the Queen murmured her eyes narrowed at Maleficent's fakery.

Maleficent give one last smile before floating out of the room. When the doors shut behind her her Father waited only a second before asking "do you really have no idea or did you just not want to share it with that snake?"

"Daddy," she chastised gently "she is my dearest friend," she gave the Mirror a slanted glance "but when have you ever known me not to have a plan?" She murmured. She needed questions answered and she planned to get them.

XxXx

They were both startled awake as someone loudly banged on the bars. She glared at Captain Azzeazal who returned it just as fiercely. Standing beside him with his hands clasped behind his back was the old man in typical man servant clothes that she had seen on tv. He even had his white hair in those tight rollers that ended in a pony tail.

"My dears, if you would be so kind as to follow me," he said as Captain Azzeazal flung the door to the prison open.

"Like we have a choice," Emma muttered as she got to her feet helping Henry up as well. The old man just smiled at her benignly and gestured for them to follow. Henry grabbed her hand and she was actually glad. She smiled down at him and he returned it shakily.

They were lead up through thick stone corridors each slightly less dark than the last and all had guards men patrolling them. Even the carpet that ran down the centre of the stone halls was black. "So where are we going?" Henry asked causing the Captain to glare at him.

"I'm going to take you to your room. The Queen thinks that you would enjoy your stay here better if you actually had a bed," the old man smiled at them and neither she nor Henry was taken in by the act.

"That's a sudden change in tune considering she wanted to kill me last night," Emma pointed out. The Captain growled at her but still didn't say anything which was odd.

"Well, now she had a night to sleep on it. It was a very big shock for her. There is some bad blood between our families, I'm sad to say," the old man shook his head as the Captain snorted. Okay, so a little more than bad blood obviously.

They had been walking a good while with too many twists and turns for Emma to keep up with but it was obvious that they were continuing up. Eventually the old man stopped outside a door that looked as plain as the others but was decorated with scowling guards on either side. She hazard that they were here.

"A princess in a tower," the old man shrugged "hardly original but I thought you might enjoy the view." He opened the door for them and stepped back.

It was bigger than her apartment that much she could tell right off. There was a large four poster bed with blue drapes and maroon rugs that matched the heavy velvet curtains that framed two large windows pointed at the top like cathedral windows. Off to one side near two heavy dark wood wardrobes and a set of dresser drawers was a dividing screen that had apples woven into the pattern. Facing the bed was a large fireplace that was unlit at the moment and before that were two small chairs. "I thought black was the only colour you guys knew," Emma said stepping inside. It definitely beat the stone prison.

"Sadly, my daughter went through this maudlin phase in her teenage years and kept the fashion," the old man smiled as he waved in a tall skinny man in an old fashion blue suit complete with waist coat buckled shoes and coat with tails. "I assumed that you would want to share a room for the time being as being a parent in unfamiliar surroundings, one would naturally want their child close by."

"Thanks," Emma said absently her eyes already assessing the new comer. He busied himself unfurling a tape measure and was that swatch clothes?

"Now Ms, if you would care to follow the good Captain here, the Queen would like a word," the old man gestured for her to leave the room.

"What about Henry?" She said eye them.

"The Queen has sent her finest tailor to get new clothes for the boy. I will be with him throughout, rest assured."

"I feel so comforted," Emma replied sarcastically before beckoning Henry to her "okay kid, play nice for now and see what you can find out. If they hurt you I'll make them regret it," she said the last part a bit louder so they all could hear. She meant it too. She would hurt them, evil castle or not, if they touched the boy.

"I'll be fine," Henry assured her "you go speak to the Queen and see if we can get out of here."

She nodded and straightened up but internally she thought_, sure, give me the hard job._ "Lead on Captain," she waved him forward. He glowered at her and she just knew he was going to sucker punch her the moment they were alone together.

XxXx

"So what is it that they called you?" The Queen sat back on her chair behind a huge gold desk. The room she had been so rudely shoved into was more like a library. There were bookshelves crammed with hard leather backed books of different colours and stretching from floor to ceiling. The ceiling itself was doomed and what seemed to be a dragon skeleton was suspended in chains with many candles sticking out of it. They were unlit because of the large windows on one side of the wall that let in the bright sunlight. The mandatory fire place was on the back wall with two large cabinets either side filled with different potions in oddly shaped vials. Other than the books and the gold desk it was back to the standard black. Black rugs and drapes framing the windows and the woman sitting behind her desk.

"My name is Emma Swan," Emma said fiddling with the chains that the Captain had slapped on her as soon as they were alone. That guy could really hold a grudge.

"And the boy's?"

"Henry..." she stopped as she realised she didn't even know the kids last name. "Henry," she finished lamely.

The Queens eyes flickered in surprise "pretty name," was all she said. Emma frowned, hers was pretty or Henrys? "And your husband's? Do I have to worry about a Mr Swan storming my gates?" the notion seemed to amuse the Queen.

Emma scowled automatically when she had to think of Henry's dad and that was probably why she didn't censor herself. "There is no Mr Swan," she snapped.

The Queen arched her eyebrow "something tells me you're also not a widow," at Emma's silence a twisted smile quirked her lips "this world doesn't take kindly to children out of wedlock, Ms Swan."

"Well screw 'em," she raised her chin defiantly. She wasn't a teenager anymore she refuses to be shamed over past mistakes.

"Quite," the Queen smirked before letting the matter drop. "So Ms Swan, how is it that you came to be in this world after all my hard work kicking you out? And how did you manage to find a book thought long lost?"

"Listen, I don't believe in fairy tales, or at least I didn't," Emma shrugged admitting that this all felt real enough. Her imagination wasn't good enough to come up with half this crap "I think you have me confused with someone else. I don't know who my parents are but I can tell you they're not royalty."

"You are the daughter of Snow White and Prince James, that much has been proven. Now tell me how you got here Ms Swan and quickly before I start to lose my temper," the Queens eyes narrowed dangerously.

Emma glared back "I don't know anything."

"Come now, it would be in your best interests to tell me everything you know, after all your fate rests in my hands," the Queen said.

Emma sighed impatient "alls I know is that one day I'm chasing down criminals and the next Henry and I are fighting over some stupid book until it rips and I wake up here, where your guards then used me for target practice."

"So you were responsible for the book ripping," The Queen murmured. She seemed to be deep in thought. Her eyes then snapped back to Emma's pinning her where she stood "you don't have the first clue about this world Ms Swan," she said rising from her seat effortlessly. She fixed her cape and strolled around the desk to lean against the front. "It's time I educate you."

"Jesus!" Emma jumped as something whizzed past her ear from behind. The Queen smirked as a long scroll unfurled itself between them. Emma crouched down amazed to find the scroll was floating in mid air. She touched what now appeared to be a map and it was as solid as if it was resting on a table "neat trick," she allowed with her normal guarded look.

The Queen smirked before turning her attention to the map "Where you stand, the large black region that boarders the Forbidden Sea, that is all my kingdom. To the west is Maleficents and here in the south, closer to where I'm standing, is Snow Whites kingdom. It is two days to the nearest village from my castle and to get there you must survive the Forrest, then after the village is the Mourn Mountains and over those...well you see my point, dear?"

Emma did. She studied the map closely but it seemed like Snow White's kingdom was on the other side of the world rather than the country. But she had never been afraid of challenge. The Queen seemed to read her face as she huffed "of course that would not be enough to put you off. Common sense never got in your mothers way either. But do remember Ms Swan that as you already admitted you did not believe in fairy tales. You know nothing of our ways. Between Snow White and you, are a thousand Trolls, Orcs, Wolves and every other nightmare creature you have ever dreamed off plus a few you couldn't even imagine. So ask yourself; would you rather take your chance with them? Or me, the devil you know?" The Queen stared at her steadily.

"I don't like it when people tell me what to do," Emma replied evenly returning the stare fiercely.

"That forest out there belongs to me. Every inch. I guarantee you would not survive it. Oh, I have no doubt you would attempt it just to spite me," The Queen said and Emma swore she heard a note of bitterness. "But would you risk your boys life too?"

That brought Emma up short and she unconsciously drew back. Flying off ignorant and half cocked is something she always did. She could take the repercussions, had, on a few occasions but not without scars. Was she willing to gamble a kids life on that? "What do you want anyway?" she huffed frustrated.

"Oh sweetie, that is the question, isn't it?" The Queen gave a slow stretched smile and Emma shivered.

XxXx

Emma felt exhausted when she got back to the room they had been given. Captain Azzeazel yanked her chains off taking a good bit of skin with him. She yelped and glared at him but backed down when he puffed out his chest. The other two door guards looked like they couldn't wait to start trouble and she wasn't stupid enough to think she could take on three armed men with her bare hands. "You're cape still looks stupid," she said closing the door in his face.

"Emma!" Henry ran to her and hugged her around the waist tightly.

"Hey, kid, didn't think I'd run off without you, did ya?" she smiled and ruffled his hair still recovering from the shock of the hug. This kid was awfully touchy feely.

"Emma you wouldn't believe it but that old guy is actually the Queens dad!" Henry said releasing her. She blinked, that was surprising. Didn't villains usually just hatch or something?

"What did you two talk about?" she asked as he dragged her over to the windows.

"Mostly about the book and our world. I didn't tell him anything though, he said to call him Mr Mills since his name is Henry too, weird huh?" Henry pushed open the window and nearly shoved her out of it.

"Whoa!" she cried grabbing on to the windowsill to catch herself. They were definitely in a tower. A ridiculously high tower, she could barely make out the ground below her. _Were those clouds?_

"So what do you think? Could we get enough bed sheets to climb down?" Henry asked sticking his head out alongside her with no apparent fear.

"Kid, there is not enough bed sheets in the world!" She jerked herself inside again feeling light headed. She was not afraid of heights. She just had a healthy respect for them that's all.

"Well, do you think you could grow your hair that long?" Henry asked.

"Hell no, much longer than this and it become a wiry mess and a pain in the ass to wash," she replied and he gave her that dead pan look again. "Sorry, geeze," she cringed from the unamused look.

"Well, I guess we can still wish upon a star. You're going to have to start singing to birds," Henry said deadly serious.

"Oh no, you say that now, but when I start singing? You'll be begging me to stop," Emma warned him.

"All princesses have some gift! Most of them can sing or enchant creatures or find a pea in their mattress. You have to be able to do something," Henry threw his hands up exasperated.

"Well what about you, kid? Aren't you a prince? Go do something princely!" She snapped overly defensive. She had skills, she could wrestle a man twice her size to the ground and cuff him. She could also drink him under the table and fuck him so hard she cracked his pelvis if she wanted to! Those were skills!

"Mine won't work here," Henry said sullenly folding his arms and throwing himself into a chair by the fire. "All's I can do is tell when people are lying to me."

Emma went cold. Her frustration was blown away at the admission. "You can what-?" Her voice sounded very far away to her own ears.

"I can just tell," Henry shrugged thinking she was questioning him "It's just a feeling I get-"

"-in your gut," she finished dully.

"Yeah," Henry smiled "how did you know?"

"I can too," she said dully groping for the bed behind her before sitting heavily on the end.

"Cool, I told you you're my mom," Henry obviously was experiencing the opposite to her.

_Holy shit-he could actually-he might be-he was...?_

"So what did the Queen want with you?" Henry asked snapping her gaze back to him.

"Henry," she said breaking it to him gently "she showed me a map, we're pretty far away from Snow's palace. Even if we did escape, there are things in this world that could kill us, or worse, and I wouldn't be able to protect you-"

"-Sure you would Emma, you're a hero. They always protect everyone."

"Henry! It's not that simple!"

"Why not? It might not have been in our world, but it could be here!" Henry's face was starting to go red as he argued.

"Kid! She told me what was out there and I believe her! I saw a dragon skeleton in her library! I can't fight a dragon Henry!"

"Well what do you want us to do?" Henry snapped his jaw square and faced flushed. "We have to get out of here!"

"Yeah, we do," Emma nodded. The Queen was determined to keep her here and that was enough for her to want to leave. Ask any of her ex boyfriends "but we have to be smart about this. We just can't go running off cocks out-er I mean willy nilly," she flushed but forged on "we have to get supplies. Be prepared."

Henry seemed to be nodding thoughtfully "plan it out like a mission."

"Yes, and that means playing along for a little bit," Emma willed him to understand.

"Like an under cover operation," Henry said suddenly energised "we need a code name! We can't keep talking about plans and stuff without one."

"A code name?" Emma repeated amused despite herself.

"Yeah, I know!" Henry's eyes lit up "operation cobra."

"That has nothing to do with fairy tales or escape," Emma said confused and lost.

"Exactly," Henry nodded self satisfied.

"Kid," she laughed and slung an arm around his shoulders "you might just be a genius," _or crazy_.

XxXx

A/N: I know guys I suck for sending Maleficent away but I had to! There would be no Swan Queen romance if I kept her around. Turns out she's a total unrepentant cockblock. She will be back though. I promise.


	3. Chapter 3

Getting supplies hadn't been as hard as Emma imagined. Mr Mills had give Henry back his backpack "I know that it might be hard to be in a strange world but hopefully having something familiar will ease that ache" which turned out useful as it meant that they only had to steal one pillow case.

Mr Mills proved invaluable in their quest together supplies. He appeared in the afternoon to take them on a walk around the castle in order to get them out of their room. "You are prisoners but that is no reason for you to suffer. Besides which, it has been a very long time in which we had fresh faces to show the castle off too." They were of course followed by four guards but they stayed a few steps behind.

It was on one of these walks that Henry tugged on Mr Mills hand and pulled him to the window "Mr Mills are those horses? Is that a real unicorn? Oh Mr Mills can we please go see it? I've never seen a real horse before let alone a unicorn! Oh please," Henry begged tugging on the older man's hand.

Emma arched her eyebrow at the out of character display. Henry was using his entire child like wiles to bribe the man into taking them outside to see-oh, outside. The kid was a genius. She quickly schooled her expression.

The older man smiled down at the boy but seemed torn in his resolve. Henry batted his big eyes and put on his best puppy pout. The old man didn't stand a chance. "Alright, but not too long? The horses are being returned to the stables so they've already had their excitement for the day. "

"Of course," Henry smiled and as soon as Mr Mills turned away he cast a smug look over his shoulder at Emma and all she could do was silently clap.

"The unicorn is actually Maleficent's," Mr Mills said with a twist to his mouth. He obviously wasn't a big fan of Maleficent either. Emma shivered as she remembered how that woman got inside her head.

"Can I touch it?" Henry asked with such reverence that Emma took a second look at the unicorn. She wasn't a big animal person and the mythical creature just seemed to be a horse with a horn. The horse whinnied and eagerly stretched out its nose for Henry to pet.

"Aren't they supposed to be magical? And good?" Emma frowned. She had never heard of an evil unicorn.

"Not impressed I see," Mr Mills give her an indulgent smile "unicorns are wild. They are neither good nor evil. But they do prefer those a little purer than ourselves and so only tend to show their true form to the innocent. What our dear Henry is seeing is much different to us I imagine."

"And Maleficent keeps them as pets?" Emma arched her eyebrow sceptically. That woman didn't seem to fit anywhere near the word 'innocent'.

"Yes, truly a mystery," Mr Mills face turned disapproving and stern.

"Can I ride him?" Henry begged breathlessly.

"I am truly sorry child but Maleficent is not one to share," Mr Mills did seem genuinely apologetic. "I can ask the Queen to allow you riding lessons. I doubt she would say no, they were after all, her favourite pastime as a child."

They hadn't seen the Queen since the second day of their imprisonment. Not that Emma wanted to but it made her uneasy to think of her scheming away in the dark somewhere. She still didn't know what the other woman planned to do with them.

Henry shivered and immediately Mr Mills put a hand on his shoulder "come now young Henry, we must get you inside, winter is in the air. I must send a message to the tailor and see that you have heavier clothes made, especially if you are to take up lessons outdoors."

It was obvious that whatever resentment the Queen had towards Snow was aimed squarely at Emma. Henry however seemed to be spared as his wardrobe was full of new clothes and Mr Mills devotion showed. Emma had to make do with the clothes she came through in and a night dress that Mr Mills provided more for Henry's sake than hers. After two weeks of only being hand washed her clothes were starting to wear. Except her red leather jacket. That thing could go through a war and be ok. She was really regretting her choice to wear her boots though. Why hadn't she planned to drive Henry home in sneakers or something much more comfortable?

But Henry was measured for winter clothes including fur lined gloves and a hat with ear flaps that made him look adorable. He also had sturdy leather boots that Emma eyed jealously and more and more he started to look like he belong in this world. He started to dress like the prince he wanted to be.

She wasn't worried about his allegiance though. Every day he mentioned operation cobra and as he started his riding lessons they both went out of their way to memorise the way out of the castle to the small paddock area he rode in. She had tried riding too but either the horse didn't like her or she didn't like it. Either way it wasn't a good fit. Henry though was a natural. She would pace around the paddock checking for weaknesses in the wall and would stop and watch him ride. He seemed like he was having so much fun it made her smile to see it.

She leant back against the icy covered wall one day to watch him control the horse around the paddock, they were working up to small jumps, when she fell back further than she expected. Curious she darted her eyes around the paddock. The guards were sitting on the steps to the castle playing dice while Mr Mills was busy with Henry. She turned and cleared the ivy trying not to draw attention to herself. There! It was a small iron gate that looked rusted right through. It looked like it was only the icy that was holding it together. She was damn sure she could break the gate down and escape.

Now they just had to take care of the guards.

XxXx

"Henry, what are you doing up there? Get down before you fall! Shit! Henry! HENRY! HELP! GUARDS! SOMEONE FOR FUCKS SAKE HELP ME!"

The door burst open and the two guards came into the room. Emma whipped her head round from where she was nearly half way out the window holding a knotted bed sheet. "Help! Henry tried to escape and fell! Please I can't pull him back up on my own!"

The two guards came to help and as soon as the first one reached her to grip the bed sheet she punched him in the face and threw him out the window. She kicked the other guard in the nuts before he had time to react and then smacked him with a drawer from Henry's dresser. The guard went to his knees and she had to hit him twice more before he lay on the ground groaning and unconscious.

Emma knelt down and unbuckled the belt he kept his sword on. She took off the knife and stuffed it in the waist band of her jeans leaving the sword and halberd where they lay. She didn't know how to use either and didn't plan on needing them. She eyed his chain mail boots but they looked too big and heavy to replace her own worn boots. She snatched up her pillow case and reached her hand out to Henry as he rolled out from under the bed with his backpack. He was already dressed in his thickest winter clothes complete with a little fur lined cloak.

"That was so cool!" He said with a huge smile in awe.

"Shh!" She said sharply putting her finger to her lips. Looking only a little contrite Henry nodded and followed suite taking her hand. They had memorised the way out from the numerous trips to the stables. The only real problem was the guards but Emma had every intention of sneaking past them.

She flattened against the wall and pressed Henry back as she heard two of the guards patrolling. They passed right by not even pausing in their conversation. She had never been so grateful for the castles dark colour scheme as she was now. It made hiding so much easier. She waited a little longer before moving on.

They made it all the way to the side door before the first big problem arose. A guard was stationed at the door and showed no sign of moving. He had his own seat and table and was playing with a deck of cards. There was no way they could sneak by him or get behind him without him seeing them and ringing the bell just above his head.

Emma scowled hoping for an idea her. Plan B involved her setting fire to one of the many black and white tapestries or carpets but the sneaking had been going so well she was loathed to use such a distraction.

"Fire and tar, but it is cold out there!" The door opened and two guardsmen walked in. The one that spoke was clapping his hands to get some warmth back into them.

"Winters in the air," the guard from the table grinned up at the other two.

"It's even cold in this damn hallway, I don't know how you stick it Charlie," the other guard continued as his partner shut the door. "Why don't you come on down to the hall, me and Tim are going to get a game going. You're probably the only one that won't be there,"

"What about the door?" Charlie frowned.

"It's only the guards that use this door at night put the bar on it and let them walk to the other side door," the chatty guard suggested.

Charlie looked hesitant and Emma willed him to accept. He eventually shook his head "no thanks, remember what she did to the last guy that didn't follow her orders. I don't want my head on the gates like the huntsman."

The chatty guard shrugged "your loss. We're trying to round up a few of the servant girls to join us. I'll have a fiddle in your honour," both guards continued down the hall laughing.

"What are we going to do now?" Henry hissed.

"Just wait," Emma said as two servant girls walked by. One gave Charlie a coy smile that startled him. He looked after them as boisterous laughter came faintly down the corridor. Charlie seemed to weighing his options but one last look after the women and he stuffed his deck of cards into his pocket and put the bar on the door before following them. "Guess he's worried about a different head now," Emma grinned looking back only to find Henry looking at her with his eyebrow raised. "Er,uh, lets go," she said moving on quickly.

Emma pulled the heavy door closed quietly behind them and they stealthily made their way towards the paddock and the iron grate she had found. It was hard to see in the dark as there wasn't much stars out and the torches that lit the yard were only on the more populated places. She found the wall that she usually leant against to watch Henry ride and followed it until she felt the Ivy give. She cleared it until they could see the gate and she gave her bag to Henry to hold.

Emma gripped the rusted iron and gave a rattle. It moved encouragingly and she looked about to see if anyone had heard the sound. Seeing no one she took a deep breath and drove her shoulder against the gate. It rattled and she had to do it again before it completely fell.

She grinned triumphantly at Henry who grinned back excitedly. "Let's go see Snow White shall we?" She said caught up in the excitement herself.

"Told you heroes have nothing to worry about," Henry sniped smartly before leading the way out.

XxXx

It had seemed to start snowing as soon as they hit the forest but Emma could have sworn that it was too early for winter. It had been getting colder but the autumn coloured leaves were still clinging to the trees. Emma was no woodsman so she didn't know for sure, all she knew was what she had memorised from the Queens map. After getting out of the castle they walked until they found the road they had first been captured on and that would lead to a town two days walk. They had to get there and maybe get a horse or a ride further south and then they had some mountains to go over and then-one step at a time she reminded herself. Thinking about the long road ahead would only depress her.

"Henry?" she jerked back after she felt his hand leave hers.

"Sorry, fell," he explained shortly his breath coming out in an icy puff. He dusted the snow off his legs and drew his cloak tighter about him before reaching out to take Emma's hand again.

She gave a small smile but it was as brittle as the snow that cracked under her boots. Her hands were freezing and unlike Henry she wasn't dressed for the weather. Other than the nightdress she hadn't been given any new clothes. That left her in the same jeans, wife beater and leather jacket she had on the day they arrived. Despite hand washing them every night they smelt more than a little ripe but that was the least of her worries at the moment. What really bothered her was her boots. They looked gorgeous which was why she paid the ridiculous price for them. They were real leather and came to below her knees so were at least water proof but the heel on them was not made for walking long distances especially in a forest.

"Be a little more careful, we can't go any closer to the road without being seen," Emma said her own breath also an icy puff. Henry just nodded. It was good that they were at least not walking in the dark now. Morning had come and the alarm had probably been sent up but they hadn't seen anyone on the road yet. It was too bad she couldn't steal any torches for when night set in but there was no way they could get their hands on any. "Maybe we'll meet the seven dwarfs or Robin Hood or something right?" She tried to cheer Henry up but it didn't really work.

Later that night they stopped for something to eat and to rest. They still hadn't spotted anyone on the road, not even a patrol, and Emma didn't know whether she should be thankful or suspicious. The snow hadn't stopped and just continued to fall until it could swallow Emma's foot. It didn't show signs of stopping or slowing either.

"I wish the dwarfs would hurry up," Henry said shivering as he hugged his knees for warmth. He was sitting with his back to a skeleton like tree and eating a thick cheese sandwich he had made using the knife stolen off the guard.

"You and me both kid," Emma said her thoughts far away. Should they rest here or continue on? The Queens guards had to be after them now and the sooner they left the quicker they could get to town and somewhere warm. But both she and Henry were tired from all the walking. She was willing to bet that neither of them were used to this much activity. Two times a week at the gym and always using the stairs instead of the elevator were not get training regiments for the wilderness.

Doubt had crept into Emma's mind and hadn't left. All her survival skills were geared towards surviving forester homes, life and bitter disappointment not the wild. She was shivering in her fake leather jacket and her hands were nearly blue from the cold but she refused to go back. Whatever life had taught her it had taught her to be self sufficient. Having the ability to walk away got her out of some sticky messes and she wouldn't go back to being imprisoned. No one was taking her freedom away. She wouldn't be trapped helpless again.

"Right," she nodded her mind made up "let's get going," she pulled Henry's spare change of clothes and threw them at him "put these on, you'll be warmer." She tore her nightdress into two strips and wrapped them around her hands in make shift gloves. The rest she tied around her head after shaking the snow out of her hair in an odd white bandanna. That was better. A little.

"Here," Henry said forcing her to bend down. He put his extra shirt around her neck and tucked it down her coat as a scarf "sorry that I'm not bigger, you could have shared my stuff."

Emma smiled at him genuinely and ruffled his hair "thanks, kid." She took his hand and they sat off again walking carefully in the dark.

XxXx

She wished that they had taken the big feather blanket with them. At the time they had decided against it as it was too big and bulky. That was the same problem with all the blankets they had come across. They were all too fine a quality and would not easily lend themselves to being smuggled. Everything looked the damn same in the snow and it felt like they had been walking in circles but Emma had kept her eyes on the road in what little light the sky offered.

It sounded stupid but she had forgotten how dark night was. She lived in cities and big towns with plenty of street lights and billboards to light the night. Without them it really was dark. She tripped and barely managed to stop herself from plunging head first into the snow. She swore that she was going to use the actual road and save herself all the wading through the bushes. She realised it had been awhile since she felt Henry's hand in her.

Emma whirled around panic giving her back some of the energy the snow had sucked off her. "Henry? Henry?" She called and then had to cough. It felt like her wind pipe was frozen. "Henry?" she forced out. She saw a lump in the snow and hurried over "Henry!"

She rolled him over and he was shivering uncontrollably his lips tinged blue but little puffs of air still shuddered from between them. Emma gathered him up in her arms and tried to get to her feet. Her knees protested and she fell. She grimaced and growled in frustration and forced herself to her feet. Henry was surprisingly heavy and his uncontrollable shivers made holding him even harder but she didn't have a choice.

She continued walking determinedly but had to stop and rest against a tree not long after. She needed to find a cave or some shelter out of the snow. Where was her fucking seven dwarfs? She wanted to scream in frustration but then saw a sight that made her want to cry instead. Her footprints in the snow. Her distinctive heel marks had been half filled in by the ever falling blizzard but there could be no doubt they were hers.

Shit, how did she get turned around? She had been following the road. Her path had been blocked by a fallen tree and she was forced to go down in a little dip. The road was just over the little hill that came to her shoulder. There was no choice now she would be better using the road proper. Damn it all if the Queens men found her at least they would take Henry back to the warmth of the castle. She took a steadying breath and prepared herself to climb up the hill. Henry weighed a ton in her arms.

Emma pushed off the tree and turned only to stop dead as she looked up. There standing stark against the snow like a shadow on the land was the Queen on horseback. Her all black stallion pawed at the ground and tossed his head. The Queen looked down at her dispassionately her red lips standing out on her pale skin as her dark crown held back her ebony hair. Draped over herself and part of the stallion was a thick luxurious looking black fur coat while white gloved hands griped the reigns of the horse firmly.

"Now, Ms Swan, are you finished playing hero?"

The distain in her voice was obvious and Emma was too numb to fight or argue with her. Without waiting for a response the Queen tossed her head. Two guards appeared behind her just over the hill. They wordlessly trudged down the slope and Emma didn't even fight them when one of the guards pried Henry out of her arms.

She locked eyes with the Queen. She hoped they would at least make it quick. The other guard went behind her but instead of hearing the rasp of his unsheathed sword she felt a warm heavy weight on her shoulders before she was suddenly picked up.

"I did not allow you to escape only to have you killed here, Ms Swan. I have bigger plans for you."

XxXx

The Queen sat in her parlour in front of the roaring fire. Instead of her big fur coat she had on a black laced cloak that draped down the sides of the chair. Emma collapsed boneless, still a bit weak into the other chair that Maleficent had occupied on her first night here almost a month ago. After a day of rest and warmth by the fire with a strange nervous doctor and drinking an odd purple potion she had mostly recovered from her trip into the wilderness. Henry was still in bed but now he was awake and being tended to by a heart broken Mr Mills who didn't understand why he had tried to run away.

"That will be all Captain Azzeazal," the Queen didn't bother to look away from the fire as she waved the Captain away. With a bow and one last glare at Emma he left.

They sat in an oddly tense silence before the Queens gaze flickered over Emma taking her condition in a glance. "It is good that those clothes fit you. I was sick of seeing you in that ugly jacket," the Queen said returning her gaze to the fire.

Emma plucked at the blue corset with red and blue puffy sleeves and the long yellow skirt that fell to her ankles. "It's not really my style but I guess I shouldn't complain," at least she was out of the boots. The flat golden slippers were like heaven to her aching arches.

"Oh? Well, how _does_ a fool hardy idiot dress?" the Queen glared at Emma scornfully "I shall alert my tailors at once and have you measured for a jester hat. For now, however, you must make do with your mother's old things."

"Hey-" Emma opened her mouth to protest but was silenced at the Queens swiftly upraised palm "are you going to sit there and defend your decision to take a child into the wilderness ill equip and totally unprepared?"

"No one likes being a prisoner," Emma snapped but the flush on her skin betrayed her. She did fell like a prideful idiot. She always had but this time it might have cost her someone else's life rather than her own.

"Better an alive prisoner than a dead free man," The Queen retorted her eyes blazing before she took a steadying breath and got a hold of herself. "I knew you would never believe me until you tried it for yourself, you are your mothers daughter after all, but," The Queens eyes narrowed "you will _never_ escape me. You may be willing to risk your life trying to defy me or prove me wrong but are you willing to risk the boys?"

Emma glared back but couldn't argue.

The Queen held her gaze before nodded at something she seen in Emma's eyes. The Queen turned her head and gazed into the fire seeming very far away. "I am not going to kill you or the boy Ms Swan...I am going to send you home."

"What?" Emma asked surprised.

"I cursed you to that other world in order to hurt my enemy and now you have return. What am I to do with you? If I let you go you would go running into Snow White's arms. That would make her happy. That is unacceptable. The simple solution is to kill you both but I could never bring myself to kill a child. That is why you are sitting in front of me after all. I could kill you and keep the boy but he would be heartbroken and hate us which will wound my father deeply. The only real solution is to send you back to where you came from." The Queen placed her hand on her chin and still didn't look at Emma. She looked sad. "The truth is that I have no desire to torture you. The only person I want to hurt is Snow White."

"How will you send us back?" Emma said eager to draw the conversation away from torture.

"I can't use the same spell that I originally used to curse you. The price is too high." The Queen frowned and looked away. "There will be a magic circle on the last night in winter, I should find another way to send you home there."

"Why did you send me?" Emma asked suddenly curious "I mean as curses go its..." _kinda lame_ she finished in her head. No need to insult her jailor.

The Queen seemed to read her thought anyway and quirked her lip. That wasn't actually the beginnings of a smile was it? "I was told the spell would send any one caught in it to a world with no happy endings. It was the worst way I could hurt the idealistic Snow."

"You're really hung up on her aren't ya?" Emma said flippantly without thinking.

Whatever almost warmth there might have been in the Queen's expression was snapped away by her harsh glare. The room suddenly got a hell of a lot colder to Emma. "Ms Swan I trust you won't do anything as foolish as try to escape again?"

Even Emma could tell that she had to let that matter drop. She nodded.

"Good. Until I can find a way to rid myself off you, you would do well to keep from making trouble in my castle. No more antagonising guards or throwing them out windows. You may eat with the other servants if you so choose but do not disrupt their work. I will allow you to wonder without guards but be warned the dungeons and the North Wing as well as the East Tower are forbidden to you and you will be punished severely if found there," The Queen's door opened and Captain Azzeazal came to stand behind Emma's chair. How did she summon him? "You may not have guards Ms Swan but that doesn't mean I won't be watching. I shall say it again for your limited mind, you will _never_ escape me."

To the right of her the wall covered in mirrors of all shapes and sizes flared to life. They each showed different views of the castle and beyond to places Emma didn't recognise but looked like they had been pulled off a fantasy show. There was a large round oval mirror that dominated the centre wall and a grinning face hung in its centre. It was like a fantasy surveillance rig. Did all mirrors act like CCTV camera's or only a few?

Even with Emma's limited exposure to fairy tales she knew what she was looking at. She had seen the Disney cartoon. Captain Azzeazal roughly grabbed her arm to get her moving but she resisted enough to turn back to the Queen that was watching her departure.

"I always thought the mirror thing was a little creepy," she tossed out with false bravado.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: You've all seen ep 7 right? I've had to rewrite some scenes because of that which was totally ass. I don't care how good looking Sheriff cock block is, he ruins it as soon as he opens his mouth. (what do you call it when its a guy blocking two girls? A gay deflector?)

XxXx

"What do you mean we're not going to try and escape?" Henry said outraged from the bed.

"Just that. You saw how well our first attempt went and quite frankly I shouldn't have dragged you with me in the first place," Emma glared and caught sight of herself in the mirror. She eyed it in paranoia "going off half cocked-er um, without a plan was fine when I was just looking after myself but now there's you. Henry, I'm supposed to be responsible-hold on a second," Emma just couldn't concentrate with the mirror staring at her. She grabbed one of Henry's cloaks and threw it over the mirror covering it. She ignored Henry's confused look.

"Okay, so the first attempt went badly but that just means that we have to plan better!" Henry argued.

"'Badly?'" Emma repeated mockingly "badly is not what happened. Us almost dying from exposure and being lost is what happened. That's a little more than bad. Look Henry think logically, neither of us have any sort of wilderness skills. We only got away the first time so Ms prissy pants could teach us a lesson. Escaping twice like that will not be easy. There is no way out of here."

"So what are we going to do, rot in the Evil Queen's dungeon?" Henry snapped.

Emma hesitated, Henry obviously wanted to stay in this magical land. It was his fault they were here and it was blatant that he would resist any attempt to get them home so telling him that they just needed to bide their time until they were sent home didn't seem to be an option. "I'm a princess right? We should just wait until I'm rescued, that's what always happens in the fairy tales right?" And that was grating in and of itself. It made her teeth clench to depend on anyone, to even pretend to be that helpless.

Henry didn't look convinced but had no answer so they sat in silence. "Ms Prissy pant?" Henry asked eventually with a little smile.

"Yeah," Emma laughed bemused "I don't want to call her 'the Queen' all the time and she hasn't really done anything 'Evil' in fact," Emma just shrugged and give Henry a grin "she's just been kinda 'prissy' and what woman her age should strut around in leather trousers _that_ tight?" They were hard not to notice but she pulled them off very well for a supposed evil witch queen.

"Of course she's evil," Henry rolled his eyes "she won't let us go."

Emma shrugged "yeah but she hasn't mistreated us or done anything particularly evil to deserve the name but I guess the 'Moody Queen' isn't a good a title."

"She cursed you as a baby!" Henry's tone was full of disbelief.

Emma shrugged. All the curse had done was send her to her world where, sure, she might not have had the easiest life but it had made her who she was today. There had also been many experiences she had that she wouldn't give up, like Henr-all the good things that happened to her too. She couldn't mourn the loss of parents she didn't know she had no matter how wonderful they were supposed to be. "That wasn't so bad. I love New York and we get to have ice cream, cheese burgers and pizza. I doubt there's any of that here."

Henry just looked at her with confusion "you would give up living a magical life for pizza and ice cream?"

"Henry, fairy tales may be real here but we're used to problems and people being a little more complex than good or bad," Emma looked away "maybe you're just too young to understand but there's a reason we grow out of such simplicity. The world isn't that simple."

"But this one is," Henry said adamantly latching on to the only part of her argument he could follow. "Things are that simple here."

"Really?" Emma raised her eyebrow sceptically "why are we the good guys then?" She held up her hand to stop his quick answer "think about it. We haven't done anything heroic or good since we got here. I wasn't the nicest person back home."

"We don't try and be bad," Henry said but it was filled with conflict and confusion. "We don't lock people up and keep them from their family."

"We don't save people from the cold, give the child of a stranger a whole new wardrobe and riding lessons?" Emma shot back but relented when she saw Henry's face. She imagined that it would be the same look a confused computer got right before it exploded. "Hey, I'm just saying that life isn't as simple as you might like it to be and fairy tales, well, they aren't the solution to whatever problem you're running away from."

"You're one to talk about running away from your problems," Henry lashed out bowing his head. His lower lip was trembling and she was too busy flinching in hurt to notice if it was from upset or anger. "You give me away, so you wouldn't have to deal with me!"

"Can you blame me?" Emma snapped back in revenge and almost immediately regretted it.

Henry narrowed his eyes at her his tiny chest heaving but his jaw was clenched tight. "I hate you!" he pulled up the covers and turned his back on her. She imagined if they weren't trapped in a castle he would have stormed off recovering or not.

Emma's own jaw tightened and she snatched her pillow angrily from the bed and settled down in a chair by the fire.

Hearing that shouldn't have hurt as much as it did.

XxXx

Henry didn't seem to be in the forgiving mood and as soon as Mr Mills knocked on the door he was out of the room before anyone could tell him no. "At least he seems to be fully recovered," Emma said to a puzzled Mr Mills.

"Hm, that does seem to be the case," the older man said a little stiffly. He made a formal bow before departing after Henry and she blew her hair out of her eyes in frustration. So it seemed that Mr Mills was going to blame her for the whole escape thing too. Great.

A second knock on the door surprised her. She opened it to find a heavy set woman with rosy cheeks and grey hair curled neatly into a bun. "Good morning Ms Swan," she said overly formal with a curtsy. "I am Silvia the Queens dress maker. Her highness said you were in need of clothes that better suited your personality."

"She said that huh?" Emma said sceptically eyebrows raised.

"Well she might have had a more colourful way of phrasing it dear," the older woman smiled.

"I bet she did," Emma said stepping away from the door.

The older woman bustled in setting down a small stool and a box. "I'm just going to take your measurements and then we can discuss what you would like, now if you please, on the stool."

Emma stepped onto the stool gingerly but the old woman didn't look like she was going to attack. Silvia gave her a reassuring smile before she took out the tape measure. "I'd like pants," Emma said with a frown "I'm not really into dresses."

"Oh, that's such a shock," it wasn't outright sarcasm in the dress makers tone but close. "With the way you sit in that dress I couldn't tell that you're used to trousers."

"Hey!" Emma said still offended even if it was the truth.

"Calm down dearie," the old woman flittered around Emma with ease. "I'm thinking of tailored shirts to show off your small waist line and impressive bust. Some leather trousers as well as cotton, oh and a jerkin. A tad masculine but I bet you can pull it off with your jaw line. I absolutely insist you have at least two or three dresses. Nothing in black, I finally get to work with colour again. I'm not going to waste the opportunity."

"I thought I got a say in this?" Emma asked but honestly what the old woman suggested didn't sound that far out from her normal clothes.

"Oh, you do dear," The old woman smiled up at Emma "you can say you agree with me," she had to laugh at that.

"Hey do you think you could make me something like this?" Emma said crossing to the wardrobe and picking out her battered red jacket.

The old woman took the garment and after giving it the once over folded it over her arm "I can make something better," she grinned.

"Just don't ruin my jacket," Emma warned "I love that thing. I'm just sad I couldn't take my blue one too."

The older woman just gave her a wave as she bustled out the door leaving Emma alone. She looked around the empty room and there didn't seem to be a point in her staying there alone.

XxXx

Wandering the castle Emma learned two things. That the guards weren't as forgiving as the Queen about pushing one of their own out a window and that the servants didn't want to mix with her more than they had too. Henry didn't come back to their room for dinner so she had left to join the servants in the kitchen. Her entrance lead to instant silence and after she was served there seemed to be a slow trickle of people leaving until it was just her alone again at a large empty table.

"May I escort you back to your room Ms Swan?" Captain Azzeazal said coming out of nowhere to suddenly fall in step beside her.

Emma looked at him sideways in surprise before nodding. "How's your nose?" She asked noticing that the bruise had faded.

The Captain glared through narrowed eyes at her before nodding slightly "its fine," he said shortly.

Emma nodded pressing her lips together as the silence between them grew awkward. "Must be pretty annoying having to be nice to me?" She said just to break the silence.

"Annoying? Oh no Ms Swan," The Captain shook his head a small smile almost quirking the corners of his mouth but his eyes never lost their hardness "you see, you're a strange attraction right now. New and interesting but eventually you will stop being so odd and become practically mundane. The Queen will lose all interest in you and then I'll get to have you. So no, you're company is not annoying, it's teasing." He stopped to turn and face her fully as a dark smile stretched his mouth unnaturally.

Emma felt a short spike of instinctive fear that made her lash out and shove the Captain away from her against the wall. "Get this straight now, you'll never have me in anyway. You'll die first. You come near me or Henry again and you will regret it."

The Captain snorted from where he was sprawled against the wall "I have no interest in the boy. You were the one that insulted me. You're the one that I'll enjoy hurting."

"How about I tell the Queen right now?" Emma said having no intention of doing that. She needed no one to fight her battles for her.

"Then you're even more pathetic than I thought. Tell her, it's your word against mine and I don't think she cares either way," The Captain straightened up and smoothed out his uniform. "Even if you do get rid of me Ms Swan I'm not the only one that feels this way. You made a mockery out of all the guards. It would be a pity if they weren't there to protect you from an accident. Some of them might not share my disinterest in the boy. He might have an accident too."

"You bastard!" Emma punched him but this time he was quicker. He grabbed her fist and threw her against the wall with her arm twisted behind her back.

"Consider this fair warning Ms Swan," he whispered in her ear before pushing off her and walking away with his cape swishing dramatically.

"Asshole," she muttered rubbing her arm. She continued on to her room with pent up rage "where have you been?" She snapped at Henry as soon as she seen him playing with a toy carriage by the fire.

He looked up at her still angry from last night and she deflated "Where did you go?" she asked more softly.

"Mr Mills took me to the stables. He said that when winter really sets in a beginner like me won't be able to ride but that the Queen might let us use her sleigh." Henry said stiffly going back to play with his toys.

"Look kid," she said sitting down across from him with a sigh "I'm sorry."

"For what?" That wasn't forgiveness in Henry's eyes but suspicion. He wanted to know if she was apologising for the right reason.

"For saying what I did last night. It was mean and stupid and I'm really sorry. I hope you'll forgive me because we got to be a team here right?" Emma didn't beg she just came very close to it.

Henry looked at her steadily probably trying to sense if she was lying. Eventually he nodded "I forgive you for that but are you really not going to try to escape?"

"What can we do Henry?" She asked helplessly.

Henry sighed "I guess. It's just I came so far and it seems like I'm being stopped at the last bit."

"You came to find a family," and God knows as a foster kid she could understand that more than anyone. Henry looked up in surprise and she gave him a wry smile. Give her some credit, it wasn't that hard to figure out. She might have done the same as a kid. She wished for it often enough. "You found me and maybe I'm...we're, enough?" she asked tentatively.

Henry's eyes misted up and he ducked his head before he nodded frantically.

"Alright then," Emma smiled more relieved than she expected. "Go team cobra!"

"Cobra is the name of the escape plan, not our team," Henry rolled his eyes at her. It was nice to see he felt comfortable around her again to use that 'duh idiot' tone of voice.

XxXx

After Captain Azzeazal's threat she had taken to following Henry everywhere like a shadow much to Mr Mills great annoyance. He did not take well to her interrupting their bonding time and with all his stiff formal manners tried to give her the hint to fuck off. Like most of those hints in her life she didn't take it.

At least she was better dressed for watching Henry ride horses. Sylvia the dress maker had really come through. If she was looking to go outside she had a number of leather trousers that could withstand the cold, wet and snow as well as a few comfortable cotton pairs. She also had the promised leather jerkins, which did not make her look manly and her jaw was fine. Besides that she had a number of comfortable shirts some with those romance novel billowy sleeves and all of them with a low neckline. Not that she wasn't used to a low neckline but she thought fairy tale people would be a little more conservative. Obviously not. She also had some dresses that she hadn't bothered to look at but not one of the garments was there a shade of black. The closest they got was dark blue and green which she could happily live with.

Best of all was the shoes. They were all hand made by a cobbler and tailored to her feet. It was enough to make them forgive her after have to traipse about in her boots for so long. She had small flat slippers she didn't use because of the weather but they looked pretty. She also had two pairs of boots, with only a slight heel thank god, that came to just below her knee. The dark grey pair even had the large floppy brim she usually saw in the old movies. And one more set of shoes that were ankle length and looked like work shoes. She wouldn't be surprised to find a steel toe cap in them. They looked ugly but seem they would kick ass. Best of all they were all comfortable as hell to wear.

"With your permission Ms Swan, I was hoping to get a tutor to teach the boy in the use of the sword," Mr Mills said behind her.

Emma turned not used to people talking to her "uh, sure. Hey what about his school work? You guys have math and English here right?"

"We do indeed have math but the other is unfamiliar to me. Perhaps if you can explain it?" You could have cracked the other man in half he was so formal.

"Uh, reading and writing?" She asked and his raised eyebrow told her he wasn't impressed "reading and writing," she said again more firmly.

The older man nodded "yes, with your leave I shall arrange classes for the young master?"

"Sure," Emma nodded. That's what a responsible grown up would do right? Mr Mills took his leave with a short terse bow. She imagined if he wasn't so polite he would stick his fingers up at her or at least scowl.

XxXx

What Emma didn't realise when agreeing to Henry's classes was that he would have a full day. In the mornings he had his lessons and in the afternoons he practiced his riding, followed by basic sword play. She only ever saw him after dinner which meant a large part of her day was free. She was in half a mind to start learning the sword with him just for something to do. She hated math and English and horses hated her so she couldn't join in anything else.

It was after a few days of utter boredom that she eventually threw caution out the window and stormed into the Queen's library where she sat behind her huge ass golden desk. "You have got to give me something to do before I die of boredom. I might even try escaping just to have something to keep my mind occupied."

"Oh do I?" The Queen said annoyed at being interrupted from a stack of paper work. Guess _all ruling involved bureaucracy no matter where you went_, Emma thought as she hopped on the edge of the golden desk.

"Yes, I'm going crazy with boredom," and the Queen seemed to be the only one that would talk to her.

"Find a servant and get a mop or bucket," the Queen waved her hand dismissively "clean something."

"I am not your cleaner," Emma stated.

"And I am not your wet nurse Ms Swan," the Queen snapped back "It is not as if you have any skills that might be of use to me. What did you do in your old world?"

Emma frowned. Her old life had consisted of getting up going to the gym, going to work then going to a club to either find someone or get drunk, usually both. "I'm good at finding people," she said at last.

"In a fairy tale land?" The Queen scoffed "some skills might be transferable but we again run into the roadblock of your ignorance of this world. You know nothing of the dangers in this world so are ill equipped to find anyone here."

"Come on, give me something!" Emma cried exasperated. Why did everyone always dwell on what she couldn't do?

The Queen seemed poised and ready to snap at her again until she drew up short. Her face smoothed and she stood up ideally from the desk. "You might have one use Ms Swan," she said in the softest tone Emma had heard yet which just meant that she wasn't pissed. The Queen passed to where she kept the book that brought them here. The Fairy Tale Anthology. It stood alone on a reading podium separate from all the other books. The Queen picked it up and handed it to her. "See if you can read this."

Emma frowned and snatched the book a bit roughly. She wasn't an idiot, of course she could read a kids book. She flicked the pages open and her insult grew as she discovered the book also had pictures "of course I can read it. I'm not as stupid as you seem to think."

The Queen raised her eyebrow "you are once again mistaken Ms Swan, I did not check your reading ability to assess your intelligence. You see that book is special. Only 'good' may read it. If I were to try, it would remain blank to my eyes."

"Oh," Emma said a little more kindly "how did you fix it?"

"I did nothing, that book is older and more powerful than I. It fixed itself of its own accord," the Queen said without joking. Of course, a book fixed itself. She was in a place where there was magic and stuff. It's not that odd. "Read it to me," the Queen said crossing to the chairs in front of the fire and waving for Emma to sit opposite.

"If you're not meant to read the book maybe I shouldn't," Emma hesitated but crossed the room to sit in the seat anyway.

"Trust me Ms Swan if that book didn't want me to know what was inside you would not be able to tell me," the Queen rolled her eyes but continued seeing that Emma wasn't convinced "all the book contains is the complete history of my people as told from the 'good' perspective. Since it essentially keeps the story of their happy ever after, they give the book more credit than it is due, using it as some a symbol of hope. There is another recounting, the tale from my supposed sides perspective too. If you do come across anything you think would be dangerous for me to know simply omit it."

"If that's all it is then why do you want me to read it?" Emma questioned.

The Queen shrugged "simple curiosity. From my point of view I'm not the bad guy nor are my friends, well" the Queen amended "some are abhorrent beings but some are not. Wouldn't you like to know how the enemy has painted you?"

Emma shrugged. She guessed that made sense. "So where should I start?"

"At the beginning, where all things start dear," the Queen smirked "'Once upon a time...'"

XxXx

That was how she ended up spending her nights with the Queen. In the morning Henry went off to do his lessons and the Queen attended to affairs of state or something. Emma decided to take up sword lessons in the afternoon and after she had dinner with Henry. She went to read to the Queen after dinner a few times but they had to cut it short as she wanted to spend a little time with Henry before she put him to bed.

The Queen in a fit of frustration after she had stopped reading at the exciting part demanded that she return after she tucked Henry in. Since then it had just been easier to return after Henry went to bed. That way she could usually finish a story a night meaning the Queen didn't get cranky.

She was a surprisingly good audience Emma found. When she had began to read she had worried about stumbling over words, it had been a long time since she had been in school and longer since she read a book, but the Queen didn't mock her. Maybe she sensed there was only so far she could push before Emma would stop reading out of spite.

Emma padded into the library half asleep herself. The sword practice was surprisingly active and she was paying for missing the gym. Her muscles were tired and burning in that good way. The Queen was waiting for her like usual flipping through the book looking almost wistful. At the sound of the door she looked up impatiently. Wordlessly she held out the book for Emma.

"Eager aren't we?" Emma smirked taking the book their fingers brushing. She deliberately took a little longer to settle but truthfully she had come to enjoy these stories more than a grown woman should. At least she wasn't alone, even the Queen liked them and they were about the same age. Sensing the building impatience she opened the book to where they last left off.

Midway through the tale her voice rasped and without missing a beat the Queen pressed a wine goblet into her hand. Emma smiled in thanks and continued only to stop short.

"What is it?" The Queen frowned.

"It-the book," Emma said forgetting and showed her the pages but the Queen rolled her eyes "it has sex in it," she said scandalised. It was actually going into detail about what the Prince was doing to the Shepherdess.

"And?" The Queen asked trying to keep the humour off her face.

"It's a fairy tale!" Emma snapped like that was all the explanation she needed to give. Oh God, Henry didn't read this bit did he? "Why is it there?"

"Some people tend to fall in true lust before true love Ms Swan," the Queen outright smirked at her now. "Having had a child I can safely assume that you are at least passingly familiar with the concept?"

Emma couldn't control her blush. Some of the stuff was really graphic! And there were pictures. She skipped a few pages until it was safe again "well after _that_, the Prince left her to go back to his fiancée..." She could hear the Queens chuckle at her discomfort.

XxXx

AN 2: Okay so now the actual SwanQueen romance starts. Thank you all for sticking with the story thus far! I know it must have been frustrating all this set up. Honestly I couldn't see it going any other way in order to make it believable. I hope that answers some of your questions. If any of you want a direct reply just send me a PM even if its just to bitch about the show. Thanks again your reviews keep me writing!

Oh and please stop giving me ideas about sexy SwanQueen, I have more porn than plot written at this stage. You guys would be okay if I upped the rating right? (I know some of you will, seriously the suggestions you've been filling my head with...;) pervs)


	5. Chapter 5

"This place is so cool!" Henry cried excitedly going further into the room. The bedroom _was_ cool. It had a wooden racetrack painted bright yellow that went around the entire room with different horses with wheels that raced around it. There was a small single four poster bed with blue drapes and on the wall behind it was a painting of a prince fighting a fire breathing dragon. Dangling from the ceiling where stained glass figures of fairies, dragons, and mythical birds that caught the light and reflected their brilliant colours all over the room. In one corner there was even an assortment of toy swords and soldiers and those were only the toys they could see.

"This is for when the young Master is ready to sleep on his own," Mr Mills smiled at Henry's joy and Emma wondered if she was just being paranoid in thinking the old man was just trying to bribe himself into Henry's affections.

"Can I sleep here tonight? Please Emma!" Henry begged.

Emma startled not realising the decision was hers to make and not actually wanting Henry to go "well, if you really want but just remember I'm right across the hall."

"Awesome!" Henry cheered and she was immediately ignored in favour of the toys on the floor.

Emma gave a thin lipped smile but she knew when she was dismissed. "Ms Swan?" Mr Mills called as she turned to leave "you and Regina seem to be getting along much better these days, perhaps we should have dinner, all of us, together?"

"Dinner?" She echoed then realised something more important "the Queen's name is Regina?" She smirked.

"Yes, dinner. I can promise you it will be of a higher standard than you are usually served," the old man looked at Henry his expression softening "I think it would do her-all of us, some good to spend time with each other."

"You do realise that we're still technically prisoners, not guests right?" Emma pointed out and got the ugliest look in return. She held up her hands "okay! Sure, let's do dinner. Me, you, Henry and the evil Queen informally known as Regina, one big, not at all, messed up family."

"We will be having roast beef for dinner, your sarcasm will not go well with the meal," Mr Mills replied haughtily.

XxXx

She glared at the wooden dummy that had a sword aimed at her chest. She took a moment to gather herself and adjusted her grip on the practice sword. It was actually heavier than a normal sword in order to build up the muscles needed in fighting. Already her arms were glistening with sweat and the tank top that she had on was starting to accrue unattractive stains. She had went to practice with Henry but stayed after he went to lessons. She didn't have much to do during the day and this world didn't have boxersize.

She moved her foot forward and then struck out in a downward stroke in one long fluid motion. Both swords met with a thunk and her force sent the dummy spinning on its axis. The wooden shield attached to the dummies other arm spun at her with the motion and she brought the sword to meet it swiftly. She blocked the shield on its outside rim and seizing her chance she lunged forward and struck the dummy in the neck.

"Good but be aware that had the dummy been smarter he would have brought his sword to counter your thrust," Ignacio smiled at her from across the room where he was tidying away the practice gear Henry wore. Ignacio was their instructor and when he moved it was with all the grace of a dancer. He was not a big man. He just crept into Emma's eye line and his muscles were sleek rather than bulky. Had he been from her world she would have called him Spanish but since Spain didn't exist in this world she just called him good looking with his dark tight curls and eyes.

"Let's hope I only have to fight dummies then," she smiled at him. He stopped what he was doing and eyed her up and down stroking his neat triangular goatee. "I have told you before about the way you attack, Eh?" He walked over to her and grabbed her wrist "your grip is like iron. You are too stiff and attack with all your power. You must not rush to attack. You can never end a fight in one blow, so do not try. Woman like yourself must be faster and chose their moments carefully; you do not have the luxury of bulk and overwhelming your opponent."

Emma rolled her eyes as Ignacio wiggled her wrist again trying to make it floppy and loose. "I've done alright so far at overwhelming people."

"Activities in the bedroom do not count," He grinned and she gave a surprised burst of laughter. "You must also practice with your shield, it is the traditional heroic garb. Sword of Truth, Shield of Justice."

She shrugged away with another grin. It was that sort of talk that made Henry give an extra 100% but it wasn't much in the way of motivation to her. "Thanks but I prefer the stun gun of 'owchie' and the night stick of 'surprise!'"

"Well, one of those I've heard of," Ignacio humoured her a little confused.

She was about to reply when the door to the training room opened. She closed her mouth and drew up wearily. "Ms Swan," Captain Azzeazal nodded to her with a small smile as he led about fifteen men into the room. "Are you lost? I'll gladly have one of my men show you out before the Queen gets here."

"I'm fine," she said shortly.

Azzeazal ran his weighing gaze over her taking in the sword and the sweat. His eyes glanced at Ignacio dismissively before he moved further into the room near the practice racks. "Line up men, the Queen should be here for your inspection shortly." He took off his stupid looking cape and helmet baring his pointy cheek bones. "I'm curious as to your progress Ms Swan. It would be no trouble if you want to avail of my instruction."

"I believe her instruction to be most adequate, Captain," Ignacio tried to interfere but with a cutting look and jerk of his head he was made to stand aside.

"Then dear instructor, you should be honoured to have the chance for your pupil to display your tutelage to select members of the royal guard," Azzeazal said oily his ice blue eyes glittering with repressed emotion as he took a wooden practice sword of the rack.

"Of course I am honoured but perhaps the match could be postponed until I am more sure of the ladies ability? After all I would not insult your skills with a mediocre student. When she has had more time-" Ignacio tried again.

"-Nonsense. I have faith in your ability Master Ignacio and even more in Ms Swan," The Captain grinned taking up his stance at the opposite end of the practice floor. "Of course if Ms Swan is overwhelmed by her inadequacy I would be happy to reschedule her lesson. Although one does wonder how she is to progress or indeed protect herself and the ones she loves, if she keeps turning down opportunities to better herself."

Emma glared at him feeling cornered. He smirked right back at her swishing the sword in fluid mocking motions. Ignacio gave a tight smile and half turned his back on the Captain to grip her wrist tightly. "Do not be a fool. Walk away. You do not breathe with your pride," he whispered warningly.

Emma glared at Azzeazal. _How is she to protect herself and the ones she loves?_ She heard his oily voice repeat. Her grip tightened on the sword and she nodded. "We have a score to settle," she said then looked at Ignacio and tried to smile reassuringly "besides he can't kill me. The Queen would get pissed," she hoped.

"Winning may be more dangerous than losing my girl," Ignacio said as he strapped on the wooden practice shield.

She didn't know what that meant but didn't have long to figure it out as he pushed her forward into the practice area.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Azzeazal waved away the guard who came to fix his own shield. The guard melted back into the three rows of dark silent watches that stood on the side.

"Just to remind you, Emma, on how sparring matches go," Ignacio said from the sidelines but his look was clearly aimed at the Captain "blows at half power since you're not wearing the pads. Luckily the good Captain has his armour on in case you forget. No blows to the head and no blood. The first sign of blood and I stop the match. The first to land a killing blow wins."

Azzeazal nodded with a smile and said "let's begin today's lesson, shall we?"

Emma lifted the shield up so it covered her upper torso. Her sword was raised ready to attack as she stepped forward once. The Captain saw no need to wait for her and lightly made his way forward the tip of his sword waving like a snake looking for a target.

Emma feigned but the Captain didn't even flinch. He was sidestepping constantly to try and get behind her but she matched him step for step. He struck out suddenly deliberately aiming for the shield. It was like someone hit her bare arm with an iron bar the force of his blow as it cracked on the shield. Her arm was bashed away and she wouldn't be surprised if the wood had cracked. Azzeazal was still smiling as he brought the sword down on her again with a backwards swing. She narrowly managed to deflect the blow with her sword before staggering back a few paces to get some recovery space.

Her arm was tingling with pain as she tried to lift the suddenly much heavier shield. Azzeazal brought the sword down with another almighty crack on the shield and her arm dropped limply like a dolls. Without missing a beat Azzeazal stepped forward and drove the pommel and his chainmail clad fist into the meat of her shoulder. Her hand dropped the shield and it only hung on by its leather straps as she stumbled to the side into a crouch.

She growled angrier than she had ever been in her life. Emma flung her useless arm in the Captains face and launched to her feet and used the momentum to bring down her sword with all her might. The Captain had flinched instinctively at her weak blow to his face but she watched in horror as he seen her blow and with a mocking shake of his head he twirled like a sissy. His practice sword cracked against the bottom of her spine with all the force of momentum added to his brute strength. There was nothing sissy about that blow.

Emma went down with an arch of pain. She might have screamed just before the side of her face hit the wooden floor of the practice room. The straw strewn about the floor did nothing to cushion her fall. The spit in her mouth flew out to soak the stray wisps of straw that her fall had disrupted. She clutched at her back in agony gasping as all the air in her lungs were driven out due to the pain. She couldn't even curl up.

"Tsk, tsk, Ms Swan, you should never over commit yourself to a lost cause. There was no way that last blow could have landed," the Captain's mocking voice came from behind her.

"Well, done Captain," Ignacio's voice sounded tight "I shall take my pupil and retire. It seems she is in need more instruction-"

"Which I am only too happy to provide," the Captain laughed "stay where you are sword Master!" He suddenly snapped before his voice took on its normal oily mock charming tone "now Ms Swan, if you would be so kind as to regain your feet."

Emma lay gasping on the floor trying to even out her breathing. She could see the somewhat blurry imagines of booted feet from the silent on looking guards. Her head flopped down against the cool wood as her eyes watered. Her face was burning in frustration and anger. She hadn't felt this helpless in years. Azzeazal was just like all the bullies in the foster home and she felt like the small whimpy kid all over again. She hated being powerless, she swore it wouldn't happen again. She gritted her teeth.

"I'm very disappointed Ms Swan, it seems like you can't go on after all," she felt two rough hands grip her shoulders and begin to haul her to her feet. The move brought agony to her back and she howled but he didn't stop. Her rage burst. She grabbed Azzeazal's shoulder with one hand and then brought her head down in a vicious head butt. For the second time she felt Azzeazal's nose crack like a dry stick.

She fell to the ground with a vicious sneer as Azzeazal reared back clutching the flood of blood from his nose. "How dare you-!" He roared with murder in his eyes bring up the practice sword to beat her to death. She glared at him defiantly from the floor.

"Cheating, Ms Swan, is something I believe only the bad guys are allowed to do," the regal voice stopped the Captain's assault dead. He dropped the practice sword and went to one knee immediately. "My Queen!"

"Congratulations on your win Captain, although I hope you spend the rest of your time training with someone more your level," The Queen said coming further into the room her traditional black cape flowing like a train behind her. "Perhaps a toddler or a blind woman?"

"My Queen-" the Captain tried to explain flustered.

The Queen waved him away and looked down at Emma. She didn't extend her hand but she did block out the Captain from her view. Emma rose with much grimacing and difficulty but she probably wouldn't have taken the help had anyone offered it to her.

"Ms Swan, you should clean yourself up for dinner," The Queen said turning away "and you Captain should get your nose seen to. I shall conduct the inspection alone today. Master Ignacio, I expected better from you, no doubt that you will endeavour to fulfil this expectation in the future."

"Yes, my Queen," Ignacio gave a half bow before leading Emma out the opposite door from the Captain.

"Jesus," Emma breathed leaning against one of the many black and white tapestries along the walls. She give Ignacio a sidewise glance "don't start with the lecture. If I had walked away he would have only found something worse to torture me with."

Ignacio regarded her his usually smiling face unnaturally grave "oh, my girl, you did not avoid torture only made its future application that much more unpleasant. You embarrassed a little man if front of his Queen. This, I think, will not end well for you."

Emma gave a one shoulder shrugged. She still couldn't bring herself to regret it "it's not like he can kill me twice."

"You are not the only one to live by your rash decisions and temper," Ignacio said with finality before he smiled "it does seem however that teaching you to use the shield will only be a waste of time. For such a hothead it seems that all out attack will be your best option. Tomorrow we shall teach you how to duel wield!"

"Yay," Emma mocked still clutching her back in agony.

XxXx

The food at the Queens table was the best thing Emma had eaten in her life. She still missed cheese burgers but you could take the girl out of the slums...the white sauce that smothered the duck did come close to perfection though.

Emma had expected a long table with them all seated at either ends and in need of couriers to have a conversation. Instead the table was the standard length where the awkward silence could hang palpably between all four of them. The dining room had the traditional high ceilings and bowed windows that reached from floor to ceiling with gold inlay but unlike the rest of the castles black and white motif the dining room was done in dark mahogany and gold. There was even a portrait over the fireplace of the Queen, Mr Mills and another woman who must have been the Queen's mother. It was obvious judging by the fact that that woman didn't seem to smile much either.

Henry reached for some grapes obviously ignoring any type of apple which made Emma grin. "So Henry," Emma said nonchalantly reaching for the deep red apple deliberately "how was your lessons today?" She held back a laugh at Henry's horrified expression as she buffed the apple on her chest.

"It was fine," Henry said watching her with the apple like a hawk. He widened his eyes and twitched his mouth in exaggeration trying to convey to her Not To Eat The Apple.

She furrowed her brow in mock confusion "I thought you were having problems with your tables?" She asked as she brought the apple up to her mouth.

"I'm getting be-NO DON'T EAT THAT!" Henry lunged at her. He was too short to do anything more than upset the tables.

Emma snapped her jaws closed with a deliberate crunch baring the white flesh of the fruit to Henry's horror. "See? Not poisoned," she laughed.

"Of course they're not poisoned," the Queen sniffed offended "I don't use the same trick twice."

Henry flushed embarrassed but still eyeing the Queen wearily. The Queen paid him no attention still cutting up her meat. "The grapes however," the Queen said lightly spearing her neatly cut cube of beef.

Henry's face fell in horror.

Emma couldn't stop herself from laughing and even the Queen gave a reluctant smile the lines around her eyes crinkling in amusement. "I assure you dear boy," Mr Mills cut in smoothly "none of the food is poisoned. After all, have we not all eaten from the same plates? It would be silly to poison communal utensils."

Henry paused seeming reassured by the older man before taking a drink.

"The cups however," He continued "are entirely individual and therefore much easier to poison safely."

Emma was sitting opposite Henry so the joke lost a little of its shine when he spewed his juice all over her. The other two adults at the table didn't seem to agree with her though as they laughed.

"You guys suck," Henry grumbled wiping his mouth.

"Dude, you suck," Emma complained wiping her face.

"On that note, I think I shall get back to work," The Queen rose from the table only to stare down at Emma "if you will accompany me Ms Swan I shall show you where you may get a bath. Your personal hygiene seems to be lacking."

"Hey," Emma objected "I wash everyday."

"Obviously that is not enough," the Queen rolled her eyes before turning. It didn't occur to her that she wouldn't be followed.

Emma shared a look with Henry before getting up to follow. She really did want a bath.

XxXx

"Sweet Jesus," Emma said in awe.

The bathroom was cream tiles and one wall was entirely glass over looking the forest and the sea a little beyond that. They were in a tower and Emma was willing to bet that the view of sunset would be magnificent from this height. The walls were cream and gold square tiles with black and white tapestries on the centre of the three walls. There was a clawed foot bath tub that sat on its own filled with steaming hot bubbles which Emma's body was crying out for. One side of room was shelves filled with towels and various lotions and potions in coloured bottles. In the middle of the room its presences anointed with four chubby golden angels was a sunken bath like a swimming pool. Emma didn't care what she had to do. She was going to use that before they left.

"This is my private bath," the Queen said going to the corner with the shelves "I do not have body slaves so you will have to attend to yourself."

"I've been doing that since I was fourteen," Emma grinned.

The Queen give her a strange look before she handed Emma two black towels and a bathrobe. "My parlour is through there," she nodded to a door to the side of where they came in "I have sent for the book you may read it to me in there after you have finished."

Emma raised her eyebrows at the tone but the Queen just held her gaze arrogantly. She wasn't going to win a straight up staring contest so Emma did something impulsive. She whipped her shirt over her head and stood topless before the scandalised eyes of the Queen. "Thanks, Regina," she grinned getting ready to take off her pants.

Without a word the Queen turned on her heel and stalked out her cape bristling like an indignant cats tail.

Emma laughed to herself but soon groaned as she sunk into the first real bath she had had since getting here. The water was just a degree before boiling but she didn't care. Her lower back was finally easing up on her. She should check herself in the mirror to see how big the bruise was. There was no doubt that there would be a bruise. It was odd though that this bathroom hand no mirrors. It seemed to have everything else.

She only got out of the bath when the water was unbearably cold. Outside the sky was almost navy and there were so many stars in the sky that Emma didn't need to light a torch to see the door to the parlour. Instead of getting back into her sweaty clothes Emma put on the bathrobe. She figured the Queen wouldn't mind since she was the one that give it to her. She was pleased to also find a small pair of slippers as well.

She knocked on the parlour room door before entering. The Queen was already seated by the fire leafing through the book. Emma wondered if it really was blank to her? Even from across the room she could make out the pictures. The Queen looked up startled to see her and her gaze was intense in a way Emma hadn't seen on her before.

The Queen was usually intense but for some reason it felt more now. Emma gave a tentative smile before crossing the room to sit on the seat opposite her. She curled her bare legs up and under her and watched surprised to see the Queen following the movements.

"Here," the Queen shoved the book at her abruptly.

Emma took it still eyeing the Queen with a small quirk to her lips. "Beauty and the Beast," she read softly her gazing flickering back to the Queen every so often. Throughout the night she would catch the other woman's gaze straying across her body before it was roughly jerked away like the reigns of an errant horse. But eventually they always drifted back. Interesting.

XxXx

Emma had a healthy dose of paranoia. She likes to think that was key to her survival. However it wasn't paranoia if she was right. More and more frequently she seemed to be running into the Queen. She seemed to be doing more inspections just after their sword lessons and stalking the corridors with more purpose than usual. Even Henry commented that she had showed up to his lessons to help him out with math. That combined with their weekly dinners meant that Emma had seen more of her in the past week than all her time in the fairy tale land combined.

Apparently the Evil Queen was a math genius which struck Emma as perfect as she always thought math was kinda evil.

She wasn't doing anything creepy like leering from the shadows. In fact if anything she seemed more pissed than usual. She brushed right by Emma in corridors with a curt "Ms Swan," and a nod as her dark cloak snapped behind her. Their reading sessions were all business to the point that Emma was left wondering if she had imagined any attraction.

"Ms Swan, Henry," the Queen nodded to them sharply never slowing her pace.

Emma and Henry both had to get out of her way as it didn't seem like she would stop for anything. Henry shot her a look and she returned it with a wide eyed shrug. She had no idea what was going on either.

"Uh, Queen?" Emma called and winced. She hadn't actually realised that she had never addressed the Queen by name. Calling her Queen just sounded stupid but she was sure the only way she got away with calling her Regina once was because she was naked. Right now she was the opposite of naked. She and Henry both were in their winter clothes ready to head outside.

"Ms Swan?" The Queen paused turning her head back her features outlined sharply.

It didn't convey a reassuring silhouette but Emma forged ahead despite it "Henry and I are going to make a snow man, uh...wanna come?"

It was hard to say who looked more startled Henry or the Queen but Henry clearly won on who was more disgusted.

"You think I would have the time or inclination to build a snow man, Ms Swan?" The Queen's lips twisted downward.

"Hey," Emma grinned suddenly comfortable as she realised the Queen actually wanted to say yes. She just didn't want to admit it "we're also going to make snow angels. You can make a devil if you feel inclined."

The Queen's lips twisted again this time upward with clear reluctance. "Very well," she agreed wiping her face clear of expression "I'll get my coat."

"See you outside," Emma grinned pushing the still horrified Henry ahead of her.

"Why did you invite her?" Henry groused as he rolled a slowly expanding snow ball for the snow mans base.

"Come on," Emma rolled her eyes "don't you want to know why she's hanging around so much? Maybe she's lonely."

"She's evil," Henry said exasperated.

"You're only saying that 'cause she makes you eat vegetables," Emma said straightening as she waved the Queen over. She fired a look at Henry that clearly meant 'drop it.' The Queen had only the long dark fur coat that she had worn the day in the forest. It was big and pooled around her feet but she didn't seem to be bothered by that. "If we make a wish do you think the snow man will come to life?"

The Queen raised her eyebrow "I wouldn't waste a wish on something that pointless."

"If we got a wish it would be to escape," Henry muttered not at all quietly casting the Queen as dark a look as a ten year old could muster.

Unsurprisingly the Queen wasn't impressed "do you know what I would wish for?" She asked her eyes flashing darkly.

Henry drew up short and gripped his large snow ball like a shield. "What?" He drew his chin up sharply and defiantly.

"A tan," The Queen exhaled with mock disappointment "you have no idea how hard it is being this pale all year round. Even in the summer I just burn but don't tan."

Emma snickered and turned away in a vain attempt at hiding it from Henry's gobsmacked face. "Now, lets see to this snow man of yours, shall we?" the Queen said with intent.

What she actually meant was ordering both Henry and Emma about while she supervised. They eventually had two snow men, two snow woman and a oddly horizontal lump that was meant to be a lion. The real fun came when they began to build their own castle.

The walls of their frozen fortress came up as high as Emma's waist and the traditional four turret tower (which the Queen scoffed at. Emma only had to look up to see why) came as high as Emma's chest. It was actually pretty sturdy as the walls were thick enough that Henry could sit on them as he carved the detail into the turrets. He went with the more masculine flat squares rather than the pointy towers Emma had wanted. The castle was even big enough for Henry to crouch behind for cover which turned out to be his dastardly plan all along.

Emma went a little further away in order to get some fresh snow as they had exhausted the patch in their area when she felt a dull thud on the back of her head. She touched it with building indignation. Her hand came away wet like she thought. She turned to find Henry peaking out of his castle with a cheeky grin. She glared but was genuinely surprised when another snow smacked her on the side of her face. Her head whipped around just in time to catch a fleeting glance of fur disappearing behind a tree.

"This is war!" She declared breaking out into a sprint and diving behind the snow family and odd lion. She gathered her ammunition and fired rapidly into Henry's castle with over arching throws that would land in his courtyard. She heard him give a squeal and smiled victoriously. Her smile didn't last long as she was bombarded on both sides.

It was fierce with no party giving way until the Queen made a mistake. She shifted a bit too far out of cover to nail Emma as she was firing a barrage at Henry. The young boy saw his chance and took it he rolled to the opposite wall away from Emma and let loose on the surprised Queen. It seems they had no temporary alliance but Emma had just been the most convenient target until now.

Emma wasn't one to waste an opportunity or over think one if she could charge on in. She broke from cover and sprinted to Henry's fortress. With a leap that would have made any eighties action star proud she hurled herself over the wall and dived straight at Henry taking them both through the snow wall. The castle's sturdy wall give way in an avalanche and they both landed covered in snow breathless.

"Ow," Henry moaned jabbing her in the ribs with his elbow.

"Ha!" Emma declared victoriously rolling onto her stomach with a grin. She wondered if she was too old to sit on Henry's chest and fling snow in his face.

Henry grinned back at her with rosy cheeks and his woollen cap askew. "Okay," Emma said trying to be serious but unable to wipe the smile of her face "you go left, I'll go right, we both tackle the Queen from either side. She can't shoot at two of us."

Henry nodded and they both took off without needing a signal.

It turned out that because the Queen was magical she actually could fire at two of them simultaneously. An unnatural number of snow balls hurled at Emma but she charge straight through the blizzard not even stopping when one hit her in the face. With a mighty roar she tackled the Queen to the ground slightly surprised that she was allowed too and no magic blew her back like she expected.

They both landed with a woosh as the breath flew out of them. Emma recovered first since she did land on top. It wouldn't be cruel to stuff snow in the face of someone nearer her age. The thought made her grin down at the Queen wolfishly and it was only then that she realised the position they were in.

The Queen stared at her fixedly but with none of the usual harshness in her gaze. Emma's eyes flickered down uncontrollably. She would bet that she too had the same rosy cheeks. The Queen's hand that had become trapped between their bodies during the fall made a fist grabbing at Emma's jerkin.

Henry exploded on to them with a wild cry of his own and they went down in a dog pile again. He had shoved Emma's upper body slightly askew so that her shoulders were now flattened into the snow left of the Queen while he reclined over both women. The Queen give a surprised burst of laughter that neither had heard before. It was rich and surprisingly warm without the cutting superiority that Emma had heard before.

"Okay, okay, you win," Emma heaved herself up and Henry bonelessly slid off her still laughing. She stood and without offering took the Queen's hand and pulled her to her feet smiling.

"Let's make snow angels now!" Henry exclaimed.

Emma groaned "is that kid made of energy? I'm cold and wet!"

The Queen gave her a small smirk "here," she said putting her arm on Emma. Slowly heat spread through her and her clothes began to dry.

Emma grinned "cool trick."

The Queen gave a carefree half shrug "it has its uses."

Emma nodded and they both turned to watch Henry make snow angels. Every now and then Emma would glance out of the corner of her eye just watching the woman beside her.

XxXx


	6. Chapter 6

They finished eating and Emma stretched before she got up. "Actually, Ms Swan," The Queen said making her pause "I know that this is usually the time you and Henry spend together before his bed time but if it is agreeable to you both I would like to show you something."

Henry and Emma shared a look. Henry eventually shrugged. "Okay, lead the way," Emma said waving the Queen on.

She smiled and put down her glass. They followed her up the winding stair cases to her parlour where she waved them in a head of her. "I understand from my father that Henry was quite taken with Maleficent's unicorn so I thought he might enjoy this." She walked over to the wall that had the various mirrors of different sizes. The largest one dominated the middle of the wall and she waved her hand over it. The mirror rippled like mercury before green flames erupted from the bottom and a sharp unkind face hovered in its centre. Its lips were twisted into a sneer with a sharp beard serving as a frame for it. The face was deadly pale with sharp high raised cheekbones and sunken cheeks. It had a deep brow where shadows gathered in its dark eyes that the unnatural flames couldn't touch.

"Cool," Henry breathed.

Emma shivered the primitive part of her brain instantly disliking something so other. "My Magic Mirror can show you anything. Any creature in the world," the Queen said a hint of pride underneath the coolness of her voice.

"It's really a magic mirror?" Henry asked stepping closer to the frame. Emma followed behind him suspiciously. "Like in the fairy tale? What does it see in us?"

"_One two three stand before me_

_One longing for glory_

_One longing love_

_One longing to be free like the dove_

_Three hearts all with a single pain_

_Each strive for healing in v-"_

"Mirror," the Queen cut in warningly "be careful what you ask it Henry, it is not kind, or particularly trusting, to anyone other than its Master," she tried to give him a reassuring look but it didn't come natural to her. She turned to glare at the mirror, that look was much more natural "Mirror, show me a dragon."

The Mirror gave a nasty grin before it rippled and showed the image of a sleeping dragon in a cage. Henry gasped his eyes wide with wonder.

"Can you show me one that's flying?" Henry asked.

The mirror rippled again to see a different dragon from below as it stretched across the sky. There was nothing graceful about it. Its huge glimmering grey scales rippled as it powerfully pulled itself through the air defying physics. It suddenly let out a plume of fire and Henry jumped back but the fire didn't pass through the glass. He gave an excited smile before eagerly calling out new requests to the mirror.

They saw a trolls den, a fairy ring, a giants knoll and many other things that Henry had been dying to see since he came here. The Queen watched them for awhile with a small smile but eventually she went to her small desk and hid behind paperwork. At that stage even Emma was caught up in the mirror. Henry knew all these fantastical creatures and the mirror showed them without hesitation. Some made Emma's stomach lurch as they were hideous and they both jumped when something really ugly or evil came into view only to laugh a few seconds later.

"You can show anything, huh?" Henry said suddenly quite after they watched a dwarf mining for jewels below a mountain.

"Anything that has ever had a reflection. All mirrors remember what they see little boy," the face in the mirror erupted from the middle of the image as if surfacing from under water. It waved from side to side like a snake.

"Show me Snow White and Prince Charming," Henry whispered with a glace to the Queen behind the desk.

The Mirror hissed and grinned with narrowed eyes but spun until the mirror rippled and an image of a dancing laughing couple filled the mirror. There was no sound but the clearly joyful expression on both their faces made imagining the sound easier. Snow really did have the pretty dark hair and pale skin but her features were soft and elf like similar to Henry's but as hard as she tried Emma couldn't see much resemblance.

This was apparently her mother and father. The prince was handsome with a square jaw and blonde hair that Emma wished she had inherited. It would have save her a lot of money on hair dye. She was in the middle of growing it out which was a painful process but she doubted that there was a salon close by.

...Was she supposed to miss people she didn't know? They looked happy and well enough without her. She gazed at the picture with narrowed eyes but Henry reached out for the image with such longing that she felt awkward. Should she change the image or hug him? Both?

"They look so happy..." Henry said his voice lost and brittle "without us..."

Emma laid her hand on his shoulder and he turned towards her with misty eyes. He sniffed roughly and furiously wiped his sleeve across his eyes.

"They were probably sad in the beginning but you can't live your whole life feeling just one thing," Emma tried give an explanation, maybe for more than the picture "in the past you make mistakes but you have to move on. Regretting everything is no way to live."

Henry looked at her confused but she didn't know how else to explain it and just looked back at him helplessly.

"I think that's enough for today," The Queen said taking in the image they were looking at. Surprisingly she didn't get angry "Ms Swan if you will allow me to put Henry to bed?"

Emma frowned. She was pretty sure that they should talk about this. Isn't that what a real adult would do?

"Its fine," Henry shrugged away from her. He obviously didn't want to talk.

The Queen nodded and they left the room. Emma sighed and looked around for the book but honestly she didn't really feel like reading to the Queen tonight. She suddenly stopped and slowly turned back to the mirror. When would she ever get this chance again?

"Is Henry my son?" She asked her chin tilted up defiantly.

The mirror rippled and the face came back with a full sneer. "Does it actually matter? You already love the boy," it hissed swaying from side to side.

"Not really," Emma replied "but tell me anyway."

"All yours, complete with the idiotic tendency to rush into things," The mirror sneered.

Emma felt a tension she wasn't aware of leave her completely. She sagged and didn't even bother to hide her grin. "Has the Queen really been trying to get us home?"

"I am a mirror not the answer to all you questions," the mirror rolled his eyes.

"Fine then, can you show me the image of the Queen working on getting us home?" Emma said with an eye roll of her own. The mirror sneered at her before showing a picture of the Queen looking over paperwork. That wasn't very helpful. Emma was about to turn her back when she grinned.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all?" She quoted fully expecting the mirror to sneer at her again. Instead the mirror gave a wicked grin and paused in its swaying to tilt its head closer to her.

"Beauty is subjective so I can only show you who you think is the fairest of them all," The mirror gave a nasty grin "I don't think you're ready for that," but the mirror rippled anyway forming the hazy black blob.

The ripples stopped abruptly as the door opened. "Shall we Ms Swan?" The Queen said as she entered the room.

"Sure," Emma replied automatically casting one last look back at the mirror.

XxXx

"So, where you going?" Emma asked walking along side the Queens stallion. She didn't get too close as the animals powerful rippling muscles put her on guard but the Queen seemed to have him well under control.

"I do have a kingdom to run, Ms Swan," the Queen looked down at her with a raised eyebrow but she didn't seem bothered by her company.

"But its freezing!" Emma grinned "who goes to work when its this cold?"

"Steady and reliable people, neither of which you seem to concern yourself with," the Queen sniffed without her usual malice. "If it is too cold to do work, what pray tell, is so important that it has disturbed your slothful ways, Ms Swan?"

"Henry, duh," Emma gave the Queen an exasperated look "he was sick of being cooped up inside and wanted to take a walk. Mr Mills had the right idea when he told us that we were crazy mad fools."

"'Crazy mad fools?'" The Queen repeated sceptically "I highly doubt that my father used such language, Ms Swan."

"So I might have improvised, the point still stands," Emma waved her hand "hey, when are you going to start calling me Emma?"

"It would be highly inappropriate for me to call you anything else Ms Swan, we are neither friends nor family," the Queen looked at her seriously.

Emma raised her own eyebrows back at her "so kidnap is okay but you draw the line at being rude? Sorry Regina I don't buy it. Call me 'Ms Swan' all you like I'm sick of calling you 'Queen.'"

The other woman looked really affronted but Emma honestly didn't care. She gave her an absent minded wave as Regina went through the gate and went off to find Henry. She couldn't see him anywhere in the yard and rolled her eyes. She bet he snuck into the stables to see that damn unicorn again.

"Henry?" Emma called after exiting the stables to see no sign of the kid. She glanced about and her stomach lurched with dread. A guard slipped through one of the side gates but what Emma instinctively paid attention to was that he gave Captain Azzeazal a nod. The Captain who never bothered with guard postings when there was much more comfortable jobs for him inside. At the nod the Captain's eyes immediately scanned the yard until they found her. He gave a smirk and that was all Emma needed to jump to conclusions.

She ran at the Captain not even slowing her stride as she picked up an axe that was used to cut firewood from where it was lodged in a stump. The Captain tensed at her approach but his smile never wavered. At the last moment Emma changed her stride to barrelled into the guards closing the side gate and she was out and on to a small lesser used road.

Her wood skills might not be impressive but even she could follow the only set of foot prints in the snow. She took off after them and half expected to hear the alarm going after her escape but there was only the sound of her harsh breathing.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she ducked under branches. It seemed that whoever led Henry away took him deeper into the forest. That realisation made her speed up until she drew up short just narrowly managing to stop herself from sliding down a small hill. Snow kicked up and her arms pin wheeled to steady herself.

"Emma!"

Her head jerked toward the sound only to find Henry scrabbling backwards on all fours at the bottom of the hill. He was calling out in a panic and didn't seem to realise she was above him. He was more concerned with the three wolves that were closing in on him. She reacted instinctively and threw herself forward into a slid. Midway down the lead wolf got tired of waiting and launched himself at Henry with a mighty leap.

Emma didn't even think of her response, she leap as well bringing the axe in a wide arch and swinging like a baseball bat. She caught the wolf across his middle the axe caved in its entire side and the wolf fell to the snow a bloody carcass.

The other two wolves snapped and growled as she landed her footing sliding slightly. She shouted back at them waving the axe like a mad woman. She was definitely not the picture of a stalwart hero. She could feel her hair being whipped by the icy wind which contrasted with the warm blood on her face.

The two wolves took turns snapping at her until she brought the axe down on ones head. It bit deep and she couldn't get it out. The last wolf saw its chance and lunged at her exposed side. Emma screamed and went to her knees as it felt like her was tearing out the entire left side of her rib cage. She grabbed it by the scruff and could barely see its golden eyes glaring at her. She resorted to instinct as she pulled its hair and scratched at its face.

The wolf let go with a howl staggering back and shaking its head. Henry came to help her get the axe free and they both stumbled back when it was released with a spurt of blood. The last wolf had lost all interest in them and was howling in anguish as blood seeped from its eye. She tried to stand but collapsed gripping her side in agony. Henry grabbed her by the scruff of her jerkin and was feebly trying to pull her backwards with the little strength that the ten year old had.

She could feel her blood pouring out through the fingers of the hand she had pressed against the wound. Her legs didn't seem to listen as she tried desperately to push back and help Henry lift her. A deeper howl than before shook the forest and they both looked up horrified as something twice as big as any wolf broke through the branches to stand before them.

It was a wolf of a kind. It had the wiry muscles of its kind but a ribcage that burst protruding from its otherwise skeletal frame and as it rose from its crouch it did so to stand on two thin bowed legs. Its arms were long enough to almost drag across the forest floor and ended in massive claws. It roared at them after taking in the carnage, spit flying everywhere some even clinging between its sharp teeth.

"Oh Shit," Henry breathed.

The beast stalked towards them and Emma shoved Henry further behind her she desperately tried to stand. She succeeded in getting one knee under herself but had no more time as the beast picked her up and roared in her face with a hot putrid breath blowing her hair back. He squeezed her injured side and she lashed out with the axe through the blinding pain.

The beast roared and flung her across the clearing. She hit the ground and almost blacked out but Henry's terrified yell dragged her back to consciousness. She scrabbled around in the dirt and threw anything she got her hands on. The beast roared in what could only have been annoyance rather than real pain.

Emma pushed herself up leaving a splash of blood soaked snow in her wake. "Hey!" She yelled her voice hoarse and rough almost giving out. She needed to get it away from Henry. That was it, all she had to do. "Asshole! Come and get me! I'm the one that killed those wolves! And I'd do it again! Because you're just a stinking dog-"

Whatever else she was going to say was lost in the roar of fury the beast unleashed as in loped towards her on all fours. Emma braced for impact. When it hit, it was with the force of a train and she didn't stand a chance. They flew through the air to crash on a snow clearing devoid of trees only to fall again as the snow give way and the ice cracked plunging them into the water.

It was like icy knives all over her body and she couldn't tell what way was up. The beast pushed up further into the wet to save itself and hit her head with a frantically padding paw. Instinct must have made her struggle because all thought had been swallowed with pain. Her head broke the surface as she gasped raggedly for breath.

The beast was in front of her frantically flailing for the jagged edge of the ice. It pulled itself up only to have the ice collapse again under its weight. She could make out the blurry image of Henry far off waving his arms and probably screaming.

She couldn't hear a thing but it was easier to move in the water except for the bitter agony of the cold. But she knew she couldn't let the wolf thing get out of the water. Henry was out there. She lunged for the back of the beast and treid to drag it backwards. They were both re-submerged but one of the wolf things elbows caught her in her injured side as it panic and she let go instinctively. It kicked away from her but she grabbed onto it and followed it above the water. Tehy broke the surface and she tried to punch it but was so tired and weak she just managed an open palmed slap that splashed more water at it that actually hurt it. The beast instinctively lashed out quicker than Emma could keep up with and she howled in pain.

The bastard had just ripped out her shoulder.

There was no other explanation for the pain.

Her body was shaking and she didn't know if it was the blood loss or the cold but she grabbed its head with the single minded stubbornness of the desperate. With a mighty heave pushed its head underwater. She distantly felt him tear a chunk out of her arm as the water turned bloody but it was so cold she didn't really feel it. With all her will power she clutched at the head keeping it submerged. The body struggled and flapped hands raked across her face and back but she just had to keep the head down. She had to protect. That was her only job.

Eventually the body stopped moving which was good because Emma was so cold and tired. That was her job over then. Her brain let go of that as its only thought and she let herself rest. Job done. She slipped away beneath the water.

XxXx

"The woman is an idiot! I have a castle full of guards and she runs off to slay a pack of wolves alone!"

"Darling, maybe there wasn't time? Henry seemed pretty shaken up by the whole affair."

"Another idiot! He runs the whole way to catch up with my party rather than go back to the castle, which is only half the distance! He was lucky that I got to her in time or he would be an orphan!"

"Don't blame the boy. There must have been a reason he didn't go back to the castle. How did he even get past the gates?"

"I have every intention of finding that out myself!"

There was silence before muffled noises edged around the darkness of her mind.

"I am sorry Ms Swan, this is going to hurt."

"Uh..."

Someone shoved a hot iron into her shoulder and she bolted out of unconsciousness fighting all around her. Hands fought off her flailing arms and the hot iron returned.

"Can't you hold her still with magic?"

"Of course I could but she would just break something trying to resist!"

Her vision cleared as two surprisingly strong hands shoved her back against her mattress.

"Emma! Emma! Look at me! Ms Swan!"

Emma stopped struggling to regard the person hovering over her wearily. Her chest heaved in a coughing fit from all the exertion but she eventually calmed down feeling weak as a kitten. "NN'ry" her mouth felt thick and clumsy "mm, ssssnnn?"

"Emma, I had to give you something for the pain, not to mention hypothermia and you are going to have to drink this. It will taste foul but it will stop you turning into a werewolf," the woman said easing one hand off her shoulder to offer her a gold cup.

"HHnn'ry," She tried again to say with more urgency turning her head away from the cup.

"Henry? Henry is fine, thanks to you. You got to him before anything bad could happen," the other woman soothed offering her the cup again "as soon as you take this I'll bring him to you."

The fog in Emma's head cleared a little so she actually recognised the woman talking to her as Regina. It was the plainest she had ever seen the Queen look. There was no finery just a simple top that left most of her arms and shoulders bare. Her skin was so pale it reminded Emma's half delirious mind of the snow which made her frown.

"HHnnry?" She nodded.

"Yes," Regina nodded with her guiding the cup to her lips.

She swallowed and tried to pull away but the cup followed her insistently until she drank the horrible thick grey liquid that tasted like wet dog. "nnnn?"

Regina pulled back "yes, dear, now sleep."

"Nnnn!"

"Sleep."

XxXx

"I'm not letting the boy see you until you don't look like you're at deaths door..."

Oooow, uuuhh, pain. Did she get hit by a truck? Or another meathead jock? She was going to need something bigger than a crow bar to get her revenge this time. Ow, if he hit this hard she might just leave him alone, or at least wait until his back is turned.

"This time when I try to heal your face Emma, do not bite me."

Something poked her face making her feel like it was being pressed against a hot grill. Instinctively she flinched and snapped at the hand.

"Blood and fire! You are a savage! I thought people were trained out of biting as children! Obviously you must have been raised wild!"

There was light pressure on her uninjured shoulder. The pressure travelled up softly becoming warm on her cold neck and travelling to the underside of her jaw. She left it alone since it wasn't hurting her.

"So that's what works with you. Directly going at you is only met with violence, subterfuge however doesn't even get a rise. That's actually in character for you Ms Swan. Emma."

There was a tingling on her face and more pressure on the other side of her neck. This was cool and wet but very soft against her skin. She liked that.

"There your face is back to its pretty self. Although, pretty might be the wrong word for you. It implies a fragility that is plainly not true. You are strong, more so than even I believed, stubborn like both your parents but-so unlike them in all the ways that count, you are so...much more."

That was good. Her face was being stroked. She liked that.

"You make me terribly confused..." the stroking stopped. Oh no, that was bad, "this is ridiculous talking to you like you can actually hear me. Not that I would say this to you if you could. You have such an inflated sense of self. No doubt taking out a pack of wolves and a werewolf will only lead to an increase of it...such an idiot, why did you risk you life so foolishly? Why where either of you out there? I told you, you will never escape me, I thought we had-"

That noise stopped which Emma was grateful for. After the stroking stopped she just wanted to go asleep.

"I see you cleaned her face?"

"Yes, at least she won't scare the boy when I bring him by."

XxXx

"What are you saying, Henry?" Man's voice.

"It was a guard that took me into the forest..." Henry's voice. Henry? Henry!

"You are accusing one of my guards of attempted murder?" Woman's voice. Regina. She didn't sound happy.

"I'm not lying! Believe me or don't but Mr Mills said you wouldn't let me see Emma unless I answered you!" He sounded upset. Her thumb twitched slightly.

"I said no such thing! I would never keep a mother and child separate for no reason!" Regina sounded pissed. She thought she was the only one that could make her sound like that. "Henry do you understand, that what you have just said, means that there is someone in this castle that has defied my direct orders to keep you and your mother safe?"

"Why would you want to keep us safe? We're the good guys."

"I would very much hate to see you hurt, my boy." Man voice again. Mr Mills?

"Of course you wouldn't Mr Mills but she's the Evil Queen."

"I am not a monster, Henry."

"Yes, you are," he used that same 'duh' tone of voice that's usually used on her.

There was silence.

"You may stay with your mother as long as you like but I will also be here to watch over her in case of complications. I do hope that being in the same room as me will not be too harrowing." Regina, she was still upset about that earlier comment but Henry is either too young or lacking in social skills to pick up on it.

"That's okay, I don't know what harrowing means but as long as you don't hurt her it'll be good."

"Then she will have a very good life indeed."

XxXx

Emma sat up feeling like a steam roller had flattened her and then reversed. Her arm felt like a ton weight as she raised it to rub her head. The room was dark, she could see out of the window to a sky filled with stars. They gave enough light to see that she was in her own room. The two chairs that usually stood in front of the fire where now on either side of her bed.

Henry was slumped down in his chair one of half his chubby cheeks squished against his hand as he slept in the most uncomfortable looking position ever. She didn't notice the smile that crept onto her face at seeing him. The other chair was filled with the much more dignified Regina. She had on a white blouse that showed off her bare arms and she had more definition in her arms than Emma would have thought a Queen would. Regina's posture was only slightly stumped and she had her face turned into the chair facing Emma's direction. She looked almost soft, Emma dared to think.

Emma threw back the covers and stood or tried to. The second attempt went much better after the initial dizziness cleared. She was in a white night gown that looked extremely old fashioned except for the fact that it laced in the front. Emma's mind could only assume that that was for easy access when getting out of the thing. Her left side burned suddenly when she moved and she stifled a groan.

Gritting her teeth she bent down and let Henry fall on to her after a soft pull forward. His dead weight curled around her instinctively almost like a hug. She let him rest there a moment unable to express how good it felt to feel his warm body breathing softly in her arms. She had had a grand idea of carrying him to his bedroom but in the end settled for rolling him down onto the big kingsize bed. She unlaced his boots and set them at the side of the bed.

"Emma..." he muttered but only turned on his side.

She pushed herself off the mattress and wearily moved to stroke the embers of the fire leaning heavily on the mantle. The room got slightly brighter and she made her way to the mirror. She opened her nightgown just enough to expose her side and shoulder. Her entire torso was covered like a mummy, even her breasts. On her shoulder was a semi circle of blood that look like half of a vicious bite. She was willing to bet the other half of the circle was on the back. She must have ripped something rolling Henry to the bed. She pulled the nightgown closed with a hiss.

"I know you're there," she whispered to the mirror "I know you can see everything. Show yourself."

There was a moments pause before the mirror took on a muted green colour and a pale wicked face faded slowly into view. So her guess had been right. "Ms Swan, back in the land of the living, I see," the mirror murmured his voice took on an even more snake like quality in the quiet.

"Show me what happened in the forest, how did Henry get there?" She stared hard her voice barely above a murmur.

The mirror rolled its eyes "how many mirrors do you think are in a forest?"

"You said you see through reflections not mirrors," Emma held its gaze steadily.

A flash of surprise stole over the mirrors face before it smirked "clever girl. Not as stupid as your actions make out. Yes, I can show you something. Like the distorted image of young Henry being led, like a lamb to the slaughter into a wolves den, as reflected on the armour of the guard leading him. Or the flash of trees from the dull edge of an axe as it splits open a wolf's skull but none of these are the answer you want."

Emma considered that "what else can you show me?"

"Just this," the mirror faded ominously to Henry's pale and exhausted face as he seemed to be frantically explaining something and gesturing behind him. The image jolted and part of a horse came into view as Henry was scooped up by a strong pale arm. The image must have come from the bridle of a horse judging by the image. The next image was from her mirror as she recognised the room and position of the bed. Her body was laid down by guards and she looked dead.

Regina swept into view and threw off her long fur coat and rolled up her sleeves and then put on an apron. The next few images was of her gasping and recoiling as flashes of Regina and a doctor came into view. Eventually the images sped up like a video in fast forward, the light changed as the sun rose and fell and Regina was joined by Henry who took up vigil at her bedside. Mr Mills brought food and seemed to take turns trying to coax them away but neither moved. It went right up until she woke up and the mirror cleared. Only her own image was reflected back at her.

They had stayed beside her. She had never had anyone take care of her before. That was...odd, but...nice.

She turned away suddenly exhausted from standing. She cast one look at Regina in the chair and Henry on the bed and shrugged. Why not? It stood to reason that Regina wouldn't be that upset after spending days in that chair watching her. She softly nudged Regina until she could get the other woman's arm over her shoulder.

"Daddy, leave me alone," Regina tried to swat her but didn't resist as Emma put her to bed. It was only when she was taking off the Queens boots that the other woman seemed to wake. "Ms Swan?" She asked slightly scandalised.

"Regina," Emma shot back yanking the second shoe off and climbing into the middle of the pair. It was weird, with both Henry and Regina's dark hair slightly mussed from sleep they looked like they could be related.

"Do you not think this is inappropriate?"

"No, we're just two adult woman sleeping in the same bed as a little boy. Perfectly innocent," Emma muttered slowly lowering herself to the mattress.

"I am uncomfortable with this-" Regina moved to get up but Emma too tired to fight or think just slung her arm around the other woman's middle and pulled her back down to the bed.

"Shut up and go to sleep Regina," she muttered already half asleep herself. Regina was a little too bony to make a good pillow but Emma made do.

Regina seemed to lie there in silence before she finally said "how are you feeling?"

"Tired," Emma said shortly throwing the covers over them all, she was hoping Regina could take a hint. "Now, sleep."

XxXx

"Emma! You're awake!" Henry tackled her and she yelped like a kicked dog as he collided with her ribcage. Henry jolted away looking sheepish and she gave him a pained smile.

"S'ok, I wasn't fond of that rib," or the need to breath.

She had been sitting up in a chair when Henry woke up. The Queen had woken up before her and left the bed. Mr Mills had later come in to check on her before declaring that she was too skinny, a problem she never thought she would have, and rushed off to organise breakfast.

"I was so worried," Henry confessed.

"Hey," Emma reached out to stroke his head "you didn't think you would escape me that easily did ya?"

"if you died I would be all alone and it would be all my fault," Henry pulled back to look at her heartbroken at the thought.

"Don't say that. How could you fight against a guard or a wolf?" Emma soothed.

"But the guard didn't force me, he tricked me. He said that Mr Mills was going to show me a fairy ring just outside the castle. I didn't realise until it was too late. Those wolves and that werewolf...you had to save me. I would have got you killed," Henry looked at her with a deep sadness.

"It's not your fault," Emma said firmly as she stared at him steadily "and no matter what, I will always save you. I-your my...you're very important to me Henry," she grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, damn the ribs, "the most important thing actually."

"You're my important thing too," Henry whispered sincerely.

That meant an uncomfortable amount to her. She pushed him back a little with a small cough and a smile. She was saved at having to find something to say when the door opened and servant entered carrying a table and chairs. More servants came to garnish the table with a gold table cloth and breakfast.

"Help Ms Swan into the seat, no you idiot, she's sick she gets the one in front of the fire," Mr Mills rolled his eyes at the servant. Emma waved away the help and struggled to her feet herself "now, really, Ms Swan, do you think taxing yourself will aid your recovery? Let them help you."

"I'm used to taking care of myself, thanks," she smiled at Mr Mills who seemed much more forgiving towards her after saving Henry's life.

Mr Mills tutted but a hand squeezed his shoulder as the Queen entered the room. She was back to her normal clothes with no smock. She did however, leave the cape off. "Now, daddy, I think we've both known Emma long enough to know that hubris is her fatal flaw."

Emma looked at Henry "hubris?" He shook his head looking equally baffled.

"Pride, dear," the Queen explained sitting down at the head of the table while Mr Mills took the other end leaving Henry to sit across from her. "A sinful amount of it."

Emma shrugged as she sat down. She guessed that was true, it certainly had got her into and out of a lot of sticky situations. Regina reached over to take her hand. Emma looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm taking your pulse," Regina explained her fingers fluttering against her wrist.

It didn't explain why she left her hand there all through breakfast or why Emma let her.

XxXx

A/N: This chapter just wouldn't stop! I guess I wanted to get it out before the next episode came on and ruined my cannon lol. I don't expect the others to be this long. Thanks to everyone whos been sticking with the story and commenting. It really inspiring to hear. Could you let me know what specific bits you like or think are lacking so I know what to include. Thanks again you guys rock.


	7. Chapter 7

All the guards were lined up in ranks like little black toy soldiers contrasting against the white snow sharply. There were too many for Emma to count but the small section that stood in front in three rows of ten were every guard that had been on watch the day Henry was led to the wolves. Captain Azzeazal stood facing them along with some of the other ranking officers just behind Regina. Last night's conversation replayed in Emma's head.

"_You're just going to take my word?" Emma said the night before warily._

"_You are all colours of a rash idiot, Ms Swan-Emma," Regina corrected herself holding her gaze steadily "but you have never been a malicious liar before. If you suspect that they had something to do with it, then I believe you."_

_Emma was a little stunned and didn't dare believe it. No one had ever believed her outright before. _

Regina stood proudly with her chin tilted up. She looked confident and arrogant crowned and wearing a black dress with a tight fitting corset. She had on a furry grey cape that just brushed against the snow. Her hair was piled high on her head in curls making the golden crown stand out sharply. She looked every inch the Queen Emma had been told she was.

"Emma?" Henry tugged on her hand nervously looking up at her.

"Don't worry," Emma smiled down at him and gave him a reassuring squeeze "I'm right behind you."

He gave a tight nod and they both walked down the first line of soldiers. Henry didn't even pause but she could tell he was looking intently at all their faces. They walked to the Queens side and Regina and Henry shared a look. They had arrange a signal for when Henry spotted the man that had taken him into the forest. Regina nodded slightly.

Soldiers' in the line were pushed aside suddenly by invisible hands until one lone soldier, who had been near the middle of the second line, was jerked forward to stand before them all. Henry gripped her hand in reflex and she squeezed back. She glared at the soldier who looked like he was going to vomit. It was all she could do not to break away and beat the crap out of him. He had tried to kill her ki-Henry.

The tension in the court yard was thicker than the frost in the air. Everyone's breath puffed out before them in a white cloud that they tried to hide behind. But the whole yard gasped as Captain Azzeazal was suddenly jerked by the same invisible force from behind the Queen and thrown onto his face beside the other soldier. He scrambled in the snow until he got to his feet, ice still clinging to his uniform.

"My Queen-?" He spluttered fixing his stupid helmet.

"You endangered the life of my guests," the Queen ignored him and spoke coldly to the other soldier. "More than that, you defied _me_," Regina drew herself impossibly taller and the shadows seemed to be dragged from their corners into her eyes. The very air around her grew darker and the snow surrounding them all seemed painfully bring making her the only thing Emma's eyes could stand to look at. "You went against your Queen!"

The air cracked and Emma felt like she had been punched in the chest but in front of her hundreds of guards were forced to their knees like a giant weight had pressed upon them all at once. Only those behind the Queen, the officers, Emma, Henry and Mr Mills retained their feet. The thirty or so guards that were on duty were forced onto their bellies with their faces pressed into the snow. Their necks were stretched out like chickens and they were all whimpering or shaking.

"The price for treason is death," the Queen's booming declaration filled everywhere. It even seemed to echo in their minds. "I will have all your heads for my gates."

The thirty men all started to scream and their bodies fought furiously against invisible forces but their heads were unnaturally still. The Queen brought back her arm as if to weild the exacution blow herself.

"Stop!"

Henry broke free of Emma and slammed into the Queens side. His force wasn't enough to move her but he clung on in a parody of a hug. "Please don't kill them all," Henry begged. Regina's head slowly turned reptilian like until she was looking down at Henry. From far away the familiarity returned to her face slightly and its frozen fury gave way just an inch.

"They tried to kill you," her voice held a dispassionate threat that she couldn't avoid aiming at Henry.

He was trembling hard enough that she must have felt it even through her winter fur but he still shook his head. "Not all of them. They shouldn't all pay because of one person. Please, please don't kill anyone. I don't want anyone to die because of me."

A darkness crept across the Queens face for an instant. Just a few seconds but in that brief moment she looked twisted and ugly. Emma knew instinctively that she wasn't seeing Henry. She was seeing Snow White's grandson. Emma stepped forward, the only movement in the whole world it seemed, but just as quick as it came the darkness left and Regina's hand fell limply downwards and curled possessively around Henry's shoulders.

"I banish you both from my kingdom. You have until sundown to get as far from my sight as possible," her voice was slightly ragged as if it had been strangled but that just meant there was a jagged edge to her tone and a harshness that wouldn't leave.

"My Queen, my only wish has been to serve you!" the Captain's pleas fell on deaf ears.

"People, your eyes do not see these men, your ears do not hear these men, and your mouths do not speak to these men, they are ghosts to you," The Queen stepped forward and the two fell back as an invisible pressure built around them.

There were audible gasps around the yard and some of the servants exclaimed "where did they go?"

The soldier scrambled around in panic trying to talk to his friends but they all seemed to be unable to hear him. They only reacted when they were grabbed and the look on their face was of genuine shock. Captain Azzeazal stood with his face frozen except for odd twitches of suppressed emotion burst through the mask. He looked straight at Emma with a piercing gaze. She could see the curse in every part of his body. His eyes assured her of the promise that he intended to keep but wasn't fool enough to repeat out loud for Regina to hear. He then turned and grabbed the other solider roughly by the collar and shoved him towards the gate.

Regina watched them run down the road before she turned and her lips twisted upwards. It was like she had forgotten what a smile was in the last few minutes. "The others will not be banished but they still need to be taught a lesson."

"Please don't kill anyone," Henry begged softly. He was a tiny figure in the snow looking up at Regina dwarfed by the shadows that still clung to her.

"I won't," The Queens smile was more a baring of her teeth "now go inside. I don't want you to see the punishment."

"Promise you won't kill anyone," Henry was braver than all the rest of them for demanding anything from the Queen at this moment let alone something so huge.

"I promise," the Queen couldn't look reassuring but Henry was trusting enough to take her word. "Now go inside."

Emma came over and turned Henry away giving him a push towards Mr Mills. She held Regina's eyes seeing the lye for what it was. Regina stared back at her with eyes as black as a tar pit. "Cover his eyes," she said her voice low, dispassionate and threatening.

Emma looked after the fleeing black figures of Azzeazal and the guard still in sight on the road. They had tried to kill her Henry. She glanced back at the Queens face and without a word washed her hands of the situation. She walked to Henry and pushed him ahead of her standing directly behind him in case he should try to look back. At the door of the castle when Henry and Mr Mills were safely inside she looked back.

The officers were unwinding bull whips and other soldiers where stripping those thirty that might have been accomplices in Henry's attempted murder. Beyond the grand double gate of the front entrance to the castle stood the black pillar of the Queen; she raised both her hands and the forest came alive like a nest of snakes. Thorny vines and sharp tree branches poured onto the road until they caught the guard. They tore his limbs apart in five separate pieces, she looked away as the blood spurted staining the snow and the Azzeazal frantically tried to fight and run.

"Did she actually turn them invisible?" Henry asked Mr Mills who was guiding him up the stairs.

"Yes, she has laid a banishment curse on them. Time was that kings and queens could curse entire realms and have everyone forget about a criminal. However it is only those that stood in front of the Queen this day that have been cursed," Mr Mills explained.

"But didn't she give them the power of invisibility?" Henry frowned. "Can't they just come back and kill us in our sleep? No one will see them."

Emma rushed to catch up with them. She hadn't thought of that. She put what she had seen out of her mind. They deserved it.

"The banishment curse is to stop them from conspiring with their fellows. We have no way of knowing if they acted alone," Mr Mills realised what he had said and continued on hurriedly "I am sure that they were alone. But just in case they won't be able to plan anything now. The curse also tells the caster if they are near, even if they do come back Regina will know of it."

"Don't worry Henry," Emma ruffled his hair "if they come back, I'll kick their asses, invisible or not."

That actually seemed to calm him which made Emma happy at the faith he had in her but also a little scared. She hadn't the best track record of not letting people down. "Come on, my ribs are killing," she said anxious to get him away.

XxXx

Henry didn't leave her side all day and she was honestly glad. As much as he seemed to take comfort from her presence she needed to reassure herself that he was ok. They spent most of the day in Henry's room reading as she couldn't move with much comfort due to her injuries.

"She was going to kill all those men," Henry spoke with his chin down buttoning up his pyjama shirt with intense focus. It was the first he had mentioned what had happened earlier.

"Yeah," Emma agreed poking the fire with an iron from her seat "but she didn't."

"Because I asked her not to," Henry said thoughtfully.

Emma didn't say anything. It was obvious that he was trying to work something out. He finished changing and moved to get into bed. Emma rose stiffly holding her ribs and moved to sit on his bedside.

"To be able to kill so many people, she must be really powerful," Henry said drawing the cover up until they were under his chin. His eyebrows were drawn together as his whole face frowned.

"She did it because you were in danger," Emma put in softly smoothing out his sheets and avoiding his eyes. She knew where this conversation was going.

"It still doesn't make it right. She's still evil," there was no doubt in the conviction of his voice.

"Henry," Emma said softly unwilling to voice what she knew she was going to say. She didn't want him to stop thinking of her as a hero but he needed to know. "I killed a bunch of wolves for you," she looked intensly into his eyes after gathering her courage "I murdered a werewolf, that's human sometimes. I would have murdered those guards for trying to hurt you," she wasn't actually sure if she would have murdered them as opposed to beat them within an inch of their lives but she didn't regret what happened to them so that made her just as guilty in her own mind. What she did know for definite was "I will stop anyone from hurting you or me and i'll do whatever it takes to keep us safe."

"That's different," Henry said but didn't sound convinced "you're the good guy. The hero."

Emma's eyes softened and she tilted her head "I want to be your hero kid, but I'm not sure if I fit here," or anywhere "I'm not that good."

"I think you're a hero," Henry's lower lip did that trembling thing again and he looked so ernest with his big wide eyes that Emma couldn't help but smile.

"You still need a little grey in your life kid," she gave a weak little laugh.

Henry caught her hand and stopped her from getting up "you might not think you're a hero, so what about being a knight? They're pretty grey, even their armour," Henry tried to convince her "they're strong and protect people but they can also do bad things to but they're still cool," his voice tapered of "...cus they're knights. Knights are cool."

Emma did give a laugh this time and wondered how he could so completely miss the point. On second though did she even know what she was arguing for? She gave him an affectionate kiss on the forehead "ok kid, sure I'll be a knight."

Henry gave her a bright smile in return before saying with mock seriousness "well your first duty is to make sure I'm not attacked in my sleep," but Emma heard the worried undertone.

She gave a solemn nod "I'll stay right here, nothing will harm you as long as I'm here." That was a promise.

XxXx

Emma stayed until he was deep asleep just watching over him. She headed to Regina's parlour later than usual and found it empty. The mirror smiled at her and jerked his head towards the door further in.

Emma was about to knock but noticed the door was open. Curious she peered inside to find walls that were the usual black but they looked like they had stars in them. It was actually a little childish and made Emma smile. There was nothing childish about the huge bed that had an iron headboard that looked like apple trees intertwining. The sheets were smooth black velvet and begged to be creased. Regina crossed the room coming into view. She seemed to be taking out her earrings and had on a short grey slip that came to mid thigh.

Emma took in Regina's legs unashamed. They were bare and seemed to go on for miles. It was actually the least she had ever seen the Queen in and she was surprised to find she was gorgeous.

"Emma?" Emma's eyes jerked up to the Queen's face that was staring at her curiously. "It got so late, I thought you might have been with Henry."

"I was," Emma recovered pushing the door open and leaning against the frame. "If it's too late, I can leave." She didn't move.

"No, let me get my robe," Regina said.

"Don't make yourself uncomfortable on my account," Emma grinned pushing off the door.

Regina raised her eyebrow and Emma didn't stop grinning or looking away. She deliberately dropped the robe onto the crisp bed sheets and moved to join Emma. Emma nodded her head slightly surprised but stepped out of the way to let Regina pass her. And to look at her ass.

"How is Henry?" Regina asked pouring them wine.

"He's..." Emma frowned then shrugged unhappily "he, I don't know, he seems calmer but it did shake him up. He hasn't really left my side since."

Regina 'hhmmd' thoughtfully passing her a wine glass. "And yourself?"

"Feeling much better," Emma waved away the concern. As long as she didn't move fast or much then the ach in her side didn't cripple her with agony. "That banishment was some cool magic you used," she wasn't going to mention the other kind.

" 'Cool'?" The Queen repeated as they sat down in front of the fire. "A thousand year old subject that took years to learn, let alone master, and you call it 'cool'?"

Emma shrugged with a grin and the Queen rolled her eyes amused. Her face grew serious and she looked away into the fire "I would have killed them all. If anything had happened to Henry...I would have gutted them and hung them from the trees."

"I would have helped," Emma said darkly. She meant every word. Regina looked back at her startled. "I'm not like the fairy princess we've read about."

"I believe," Regina said slowly "that you are not like anything I've read about."

"Well, we still haven't finished yet," Emma held up the book.

"No," Regina settled back in her chair with her usual serious expression "no, we have not."

XxXx

Emma wound up the clockwork brass duck furiously as Henry did the same for the dragon. Together they released them on the floor and they rushed off.

"Come on, you stupid duck!" Emma cheered as the race neck in neck.

"A dragon won't lose to a duck!" Henry laughed at her.

They cheered but the dragon won the race because of its stupid long neck which was just cheating. Emma huffed and Henry was not a gracious winner parading around and rubbing it in her face. She didn't feel bad at all for whacking him with his pillow.

"Hey!"

"What are you going to do about it, twerp?"

Whatever Henry's battle plan was stopped in its tracks as he looked over her shoulder. Emma turned to find Regina in the doorway watching them.

"How very mature you are Emma," the Queen mocked.

"He started it," Emma stuck her tongue out at Henry when he did it to her. He did it first.

"Be that as it may," Regina moved on and stepped further into Henry's room. "I have a gift for you Henry."

"What is it?" Henry drew back immediately on his guard.

"Here," Regina gave him a white box with a red bow. She seemed slightly awkward.

Henry took it and with the eagerness of a ten year old ripped open his present. He took out a cream shirt with silver cuffs and collar. He didn't look impressed "oh," Emma glared at him and he continued quickly "thank you!"

Regina couldn't help the small smile that twitch at the corner of her mouth "it's a mythril vest. No blade can penetrate it and most magic loses its destructive qualities against it. It's hard even for me to come by or else I would have made you an entire suit."

"Wow," Henry breathed seeming much more impressed. "That's amazing, it's so light!"

"You can wear it under your clothes and no one has to know. It will give you the element of surprise," Regina smiled.

"Thank you," Emma said and impulsively hugged her. Regina stiffened in shock and Emma pulled away giving a pointed look at Henry. He crossed and gingerly hugged Regina around the waist. Regina was still stiff but relaxed into Henry with an odd softness.

Henry pulled away and Regina cleared her throat "I hope you will feel safer now."

"Can I also get a sword?" Henry pressed.

Emma cuffed him on the back of the head.

XxXx

Regina saw her enter the parlour and immediately dropped the book she had been reading. Emma never visited her at this time and the break in schedule had obviously worried her. "Is there something you need? Are your ribs hurting?" She rose from her desk "hold on, I have some fresh bandages in my bedroom."

Emma caught her hand and turned her back towards her "that was really nice, what you did for Henry today."

"It was also for me. I would-the thought of him hurt, it made me uncomfortable," Regina looked away.

"You really like kids, huh?" Emma smiled.

"Of course I do. Who hates children?" Regina looked confused at the thought. "They are all the good things about people."

Emma shrugged "I wasn't fussed on them. I mean before Henry, I didn't like kids at all. I think I only like Henry because he doesn't really act like a normal ten year old."

"And he's yours, that helps," Regina smiled.

Emma gave a weak grin and gave a non committed smile. "You're getting awful attached to us, for someone that's supposed to be finding a way to send us home?"

Regina pulled away and Emma didn't realise they had been holding hands the entire conversation. "Rest assured Ms Swan, I have been doing everything in my power to get you home. I gave you my word."

"Whoa!" Emma grabbed for the hand that had been jerked away. Regina glared at her and tried to avoid her grab but Emma was persistent. "Hey, sometimes my foot gets stuck in my mouth without me realising. What I meant is that-"

"-that you don't trust me," Regina broke in. It was like she was deliberately goading Emma into a fight.

Normally Emma never backed down from a tone that was clearly calling her out. This time however, her hackles didn't rise like they normally would. "I just meant that, I might have got a little attached to you too."

That stopped Regina in her tracks. She looked like a stunned bear. Emma just couldn't tell whether or not when she shrugged it off if she would go back to snarling. "You trusted me about Azzeazal. Trust...I'm not real used to that. You said you're going to get us home and I haven't had any reason to doubt you. I just wanted to let you know that..." and her throat closed up. Her stomach was seizing up and she felt too exposed. She let Regina's hand drop and stepped away turning her face towards the fire.

"...That you, are a little attached to me," Regina finished for her. Her hand came up and paused unsure only to jerk forward in a rush to cup Emma's cheek and bring her gaze back.

This was stupid, Emma huffed. She wasn't a kid and while touchy feely things weren't her usual forte, she should at least be able to make eye contact. She shrugged ineptly in Regina's direction.

"I confess," Regina said softly the words barely able to cross the little gap between them. Her thumb began to lightly stroke Emma's cheek "that I could possibly be more attached to you than I should."

"We can't stay here," Emma cleared her throat trying to concentrate on anything other than the soft stroking.

"This world does not seem to take kindly to things that do not fit neatly in it," Regina agreed. Did she sound regretful? "I have to send you back to keep you safe. You would do anything to keep Henry safe would you not, Emma?"

Emma did look at her then. Regina's eyes were soft and sad but instinct told her there was something behind those words. She wasn't outright lying but her mind was unsettled. "I'll protect Henry, no matter who stands in my way," the absolute truth.

"I would give you everything, Henry too. I would-" Regina's voice was soft but lost and it stumbled trying to find its way. "I've come to realise that I would do a great many things, if only you asked. If only it would keep you both safe." She didn't sound completely happy with the revelation.

Emma frowned her instinct was a muddled mess. Was that the truth or a lie? She couldn't tell which was odd. Did Regina even know? "I wouldn't ask," she said at last.

Regina gave her a smile but she couldn't read it "I know," she half laughed "that is ironic. You are life itself Emma, possessing you I imagine would be worth more than any crown. You are truly exquisite."

That was the definite truth. Emma squeezed her hand but pulled it away from her face slowly "I'm not something you own."

"And that is the greatest crime," Regina said formally stepping back breaking the connection that Emma was ending. "I will let you get back to Henry. Until tonight Emma."

XxXx

A/N: Hey guys, thank you so much for the reviews! The support you've shown is amazing. I might be a little longer in updating the next chapter because of work but I promise I won't leave you waiting a moment longer than you have too. Thank you again!


	8. Chapter 8

When Emma returned later that night it was obvious they were both going out of their way to act normal. Regina impatiently handed her the book instead of engaging in informal conversation like they had been doing recently.

Emma was glad for the return to the predictable. Her stomach still felt off kilter from this afternoon and wouldn't stop making her uneasy. It wasn't nerves. Nerves usually meant someone was over thinking something and Emma could never be accused of that. It wasn't nerves.

She took the book and began to read "it's another new one." Sometimes during their readings Emma came across fairy tales that she had never heard off. Some she didn't even think existed in her world but she couldn't be sure. Other times they were the well known ones that went exactly how she knew they would. Other times they turned out completely different. She would tell Regina the version she knew and they would talk about how they differed. On the whole Regina seemed not at all impressed with Mr Disney. "It's called 'the witch and the fairy.'"

"Stop," Regina said suddenly. That never happened.

Emma frowned up at her "what?"

"That story," Regina said slowly, was that a hint of a blush? "is infamous, I already know it, you can skip to the next one."

"Well I don't know it," Emma said petulantly.

"It contains content that," Regina waved her hand in the air trying both to wave away her interest and find the words to describe the story. Obviously she hasn't been paying attention to Emma. The easiest way to get her to do something was to tell her she couldn't. It was dumb reverse psychology but Emma never could back down from a challenge. "That you might be uncomfortable with..."

"I'm a big girl, i can handle it," Emma said firmly and started to read. A few pages in she stopped "oh, she's in love with another woman... I didn't think that happened here." She had never come across a fairy tale like that. But why was she so surprised? Regina and her had been skirting the edges of something for awhile but-it was weird to see it in a book.

"It is not as common but it does happen," Regina looked away.

"Is that why you didn't want me to read it?" Emma looked up confused. Did Regina honestly think she had a problem with two woman getting it on? Because if so, then Emma had totally misread a few things.

"No, you do not strike me as the type to get overly moral about intercourse," Regina gave her that small half smile before she coughed and looked away "it is just, the story is ultimately about a witch who falls in love with a fairy and converts to good to be with her."

"That doesn't sound bad at all," Emma said still confused.

"No, the ending is fine, the start and middle however," Regina shot her a sideways look that lasted only a second. "This is one of those stories that have the couple fall in true lust first..."

"Oh," Emma looked down at the book in her lap. She had usually skipped over those parts. There had been a surprising amount of them, all very graphic. "It's not all about that right? It sounds like a good story," Emma couldn't look at the other woman "maybe, we could, read it anyway?"

"It is a very popular story," Regina said slowly.

Emma took that as permission and started reading. It started out typically, the witch being evil and the fairy granting wishes. They clashed over a princess, the witch wanted to curse her and the fairy wanted to grant her wish. " 'Why should she get a wish,' the evil witch snapped 'she already has everything. She is a princess!' 'Good, should be rewarded regardless of station,' the fairy said. 'It doesn't matter, you are not powerful enough to stop me. I will curse this girl and ruin all the good in her,' the evil witch cackled. 'I might not be strong enough to stop you but i will do anything to stop you hurting this poor girl,' the fairy said bravely knowing that the witch would beat her in seconds but she couldn't walk away. She had to try."

"This is my favourite part," Regina sat forward. Emma shot her a glare for interrupting.

"'You would do anything?' the witch repeated and the fairy nodded defiantly 'I will leave this girl alone and lift all my curses, if you agree to marry me.' 'what?' the fairy said stunned. The witch repeated her offer. For a very long time the witch had followed the fairy thinking her the most beautiful person in the world. She brought happiness and joy into peoples lives and while the witch didn't believe they deserved it, she could not deny the beauty she created. She wanted that all for herself.' That's your favourite bit?" Emma said. How lame.

"The witch gets what she wants, what is there to hate?" Regina's tone suspiciously resembled the same 'duh' voice Henry used on her.

"She blackmailed someone into marrying her after stalking her, that is just creepy," Emma argued.

"They end up in love," Regina waved away her concern "and she did not blackmail, she made an offer that the fairy was free to accept or decline."

"That wasn't a real offer!" Emma said in disbelief.

"Just read," Regina snapped waving her back to the book.

Emma rolled her eyes but went back to the book. Of course the fairy agreed to the deal, not that she had much of a choice, and they married. The witch was possessive and tried to keep the fairy locked away but the fairy wasn't a spineless idiot. She fought and snapped at the witch and actually made her life hell. They both seemed ready to kill each other when the witch, in a rage, kissed the fairy furiously. The fairy reacted like a sane human being and slapped the witch.

The witch promised her that she would never again touch her in anger or without permission. The story then became more charged. The couple danced around each other. The witch keeping her distance and the fairy caught in conflicting emotions of lust and not wanting to want the witch. It was a slow boil that lead into heated angry fucking when the fairy finally gave in.

Emma's voice lowered becoming more rough as she read through those parts. The story progressed from fucking, to sex, to eventually making love and then happy ever after. The witch stopped being possessive and the fairy stopped being judgemental. The fairy went back to granting wishes and the witch stopped making curses. She didn't actually become good as Emma seen it, she just stopped being a bitch and became a housewife instead.

"I'll tell Meany you called her that the next time i see her," Regina coughed as they both tried to calm down after the story. They were both flushed and their breathing was a little heavier but both pretended not to notice. They also pretended not to notice that Emma actually read the erotic bits out loud went usually she would skip over them.

"Meany?" Emma was not looked at the sheen on Regina's skin.

"The witch, that is her name, the fairy's name is Zelda. I should be seeing them during the Circle." Regina said. Emma caught her as her eyes darted away from her chest.

"A witch name 'Meany'? Isn't that..." Emma smirked at Regina's flush.

"Accurate?" Regina stood up and made a big show of turning away. "Now if you excuse me, I have things that need attending to..."

"I'm sure you do," Emma smirked at her and Regina couldn't meet her eyes. She had some things to take care of it herself. She stood up deliberately letting the book fall to the floor. She sank to her knees and it just so happened that her cleavage was more prominent. She looked up at Regina as she picked up the book. "Is there anything else i can do for you, before i leave?"

"No, I'm fine," the other woman frowned trying not to look. She failed.

"Well, goodnight then," Emma extended the book to Regina and she took it. Emma jerked her forward until they were pressed against each other "just to let you know, i'll be attending to the same needs as you." She broke away and turned without looking back.

Emma never felt more grateful in her life that she no longer shared her bedroom with a ten year old. She kicked off her boots and pushed down her trousers. Fuck how long had it been since she did this? The last time she got laid was the week before Henry came. It had been with a lawyer who was more interested in watching himself fuck her than actually doing it. She eventually had had enough and rolled him over using her cuffs to keep his hands out of the way and rode him like a champion. She might have also gagged him with her panties just to shut up his narcissistic ramblings. He was pretty good after that.

After that story though she didn't want to think of him. She had sex with woman a few times and it had been good. But a lot more work. The girls she had went for had always been young dumb college girls that didn't expect you to call or respect them either during or after. They had been fun but the immaturity of them brought out things in Emma.

She had some control issues in the bedroom. Sex was about power and getting off. Man or woman she loved turning them over and watching them as they bite the pillow as she worked their asses. Most were shocked and appalled when she first suggested it but soon turned into whimper messes begging her for more.

She wondered what sex with Regina would be like. She palmed her breasts teasing herself as she thought about Regina's well defined arms and gorgeous long legs. Her grey slip looked soft, the idea of running her hands up and underneath that until it bunched at the waist made her shiver.

Regina had been just as worked up as she was tonight. She was probably back on her bed spread out and touching herself already. Emma kicked the covers down to her hips and sighed as the cool air swept over her body. She let her hand wander down and she was wet. She could just imagine leaving little red marks on Regina's pale skin as she played with her small breasts. The idea turned her on so much that she could feel her own orgasm building. She started fucking herself earnestly thinking how gorgeous Regina would look underneath her.

She jerked one last time and relaxed back into the sheets her legs closing around her still pulsing fingers. Her body was slick with sweat and she stretched satisfied letting her head lull to the side. The mirror gave a dull green flash and she sat up quickly. Shit did she actually see a face-? Oh god how embarrassing the mirror was a total perv-wait...was it the mirror or did Regina actually watch her masturbate?

XxXx

"You weren't at dinner," Emma said stepping into the library.

Regina didn't even look up from where her head was buried in paperwork. If anything she seemed too burry deeper into the document in an effort to ignore her. "Regina!" Emma snapped.

"It might have escaped your notice Emma, but I do have an entire kingdom to run," Regina's voice held mock boredom and she still didn't look up. "Missing the occasional meal is a hazard of that."

Emma snorted in disgust "and it has nothing to do with you avoiding me because of that story we read last night?"

Regina finally looked at her, her gaze was hard as a jagged steel edge. "No, Emma, it has nothing to do with that. We are both adults," but tellingly the faintest hint of red was creeping up the Queens neck from the high collar of her white blouse. Her face betrayed nothing though.

"So we're still on for tonight then?" Emma said suspiciously.

Regina coughed and looked back at her paperwork "unfortunately I still have some things to attend too. I'll probably be up late, seeing, to them."

Emma snapped her hands down on the document in Regina's grasp pinning it to the table roughly. Regina looked up glaring automatically and Emma lent down right into her personal space. The Queens reaction was immediate. Her face flushed and she drew back after darting a guilty look at Emma's lips. "You saw me last night, didn't you?" Emma said with unquestionable certainty.

"I have no idea what you are referring too," Regina lied badly.

"Let me tell you then," Emma purred her hand on the table relaxing and trailing along the centre as she moved so that she was on the same side of the table as the other woman. She leant against the desk the side of her hip bumping the arm of the chair that Regina had in a death grip. "You saw me fucking myself in the mirror, didn't you?"

Regina inhaled sharply.

Emma looked down as if she was going to read the papers on the desk but her eyes held Regina immobilized pressed back against the chair. "I know you watched me as my hand moved under the sheets. You could only see it from the side, so you would have seen my hips thrusting against my fingers and my back arching of the mattress. Were my breasts bare? Did the sheet fall down that low? I can't remember."

Regina swallowed but couldn't look away from her.

Emma turned her head to fully face the other woman "the mirror doesn't have any sound though does it? Pity, I think that's the best part, don't you? Watching someone rock and grind is stimulating but hearing them moan?" Emma shivered "hearing them sigh and gasp and beg? Almost too good. The best thing though, is hearing that wet sucking sound when you fuck them so hard they can't even gasp your name, right," she leant down and gasped wetly in Regina's ear "Regina."

Regina's self control snapped and she launched herself from the chair at Emma. Emma didn't resist as she found herself flat on her back neatly organised piles of papers flying everywhere. Regina looked down at her furiously. She looked more like she was going to murder her than fuck her but she gripped Emma's trousers with intent and yanked them down until they were dangling like a cuff from one ankle.

Briskly she grabbed Emma's knees and tore them open so wide that her muscles burned at the sudden stretch. She jerked Emma towards her until their pelvis touched and then gripping the white shirt Emma wore she ripped it with little effort freeing Emma's breasts.

"Oh god," Emma moaned as Regina flattened her stomach grinding into her pussy. Regina attacked her breasts with her mouth. There was no other way to describe the harsh possessive nipping while her other hand laid claim to the other breast.

Emma arched her mouth form an 'oh' as she tangled one hand in Regina's hair knocking her crown off. Her other hand flailed about until she gripped the edge of the desk. Regina was grinding against her in a deliberate pace that made her rock into her desperate for more contact.

Fuck, the few women Emma had been with didn't fuck like this. If they had she might have actually tried more women.

She felt hand wrap around the top of her thighs and moaned desperately as Regina's mouth left her breasts.

"Fuck!" Emma arched her back as Regina's mouth suddenly tried to swallow her whole.

Her legs were spread obscenely wide and she wasn't even given a chance at false modesty before Regina's mouth seemed intent on sucking the life out of her. It was messy and she could feel her pussy flooding with her arousal. Then Regina started to tongue fuck her and those embarrassing wet slapping sounds filled the room. Embarrassing but hot as hell and never failed at turning her on. Her nose kept bumping her clit and Emma couldn't tell if it was a tease or an accident. Regina grabbed her hand and forcefully guided it to her clit and she didn't even need a hint to begin rubbing furiously. Technique was out the window. She was so close.

Emma made the mistake of looking down to see Regina staring at her intently. The stare, her tongue, the feeling of her legs spread so wide-Emma couldn't take it. She arched her back and closed her eyes as her toes curled and her hips jerked, her hand continuing clumsily to rub while Regina continued on.

"Regina!"

She lay panting staring beyond the dragon skeleton suspended above her not seeing anything. It had been awhile since she let anyone do that to her. Her pussy throbbed dully satisfied for now. She sat up dully to find Regina still staring at her the fire in her eyes abated slightly. The other woman was wiping her wet chin absently her gaze devouring Emma's shiny and still recovering body. Emma closed her legs to ease the burn of stretched muscles. Regina's chest was heaving slightly and Emma found herself fascinated with the rise and fall.

She pushed herself off the table to stand in front of Regina. She was glad the other woman didn't even pause to take her boots off. The stone floor was cold. With deliberate actions Emma took Regina's hips and spun until she was pressing into the edge of the desk. The pressure was just short of hurting. She opened the front of the Queens leather trousers and slipped her hand inside.

"So wet," Emma moaned/hissed as her fingers found the burning wetness that lay underneath.

Regina's eyes squeezed closed tightly as her hand came up to grip Emma's forearm. She had to squat slightly to make enough room for Emma's hand to explore. It made them both groan as her hand slid further back. The heel of the hand brushed up against wiry curls to grind against Regina's swollen clit.

"Did you do this?" Emma breathed pressing up against the other woman. There wasn't much difference in their heights so she could whisper directly into Regina's ear. "Did you watch me then touch yourself? Or did you feel so guilty you went to bed without satisfaction?"

Regina groaned and turned her head away. Emma's fingers cupped her pussy and she used her middle finger to trace teasing circles that gathered Regina's arousal in her hand. "Answer me."

"No," Regina breathed the muscles in her neck straining as she turned her head away. "I didn't touch myself."

Emma laughed softly "then you must really be gagging for this," she slipped two fingers instead. Regina was so wet she bet she could take a third. Regina groaned and Emma loosing what little patients she had left started fucking her earnestly hard and fast. She pressed the entire length of her body along Regina's and used her thigh as extra leverage. She was going to make the Evil Queen come in her pants.

"Emma-!" Regina bit her lip to keep from saying more and Emma kissed her jaw, her arm moving frantically making Regina's body rock with the force. She moved to kiss the lip being worried by Regina's teeth but Regina jerked away eyes suddenly wide with panic.

"Halt!"

Emma drew back with a frown and used her thumb to grind against Regina's clip harshly in punishment. Regina's breath cut off into a groan and Emma couldn't tear her eyes away as Regina began to fuck her fingers with a single minded purpose. Regina's walls clenched around her thrusting fingers harshly as she gave one, two, three jerks and more moister gushed into her hands as Regina sagged against her her hands weakly curling against Emma's shoulders.

Emma pulled her hand out and pushed away with a smirk. Regina was still trying to get her breathing under control as Emma pulled up her own pants and tied the fastening. She grabbed her tattered shirt and wrapped it around her so that she wouldn't be flashing the guards on her way back to her room. She grabbed Regina's blouse and dragged her forward to kiss her.

Regina's eyes widened and her hands came up sharply on Emma's shoulders to stop her from being dragged forward. "Stop."

"Stop what?" Emma said getting annoyed.

"You want to kiss me. Do not," Regina said moving away from Emma who stared at her open mouthed in disbelief.

"Is this some kind of joke? I can fuck you but I can't kiss you," Emma glared "I'm not some whore!"

"Do not be an idiot," Regina snapped gathering up the papers that had spilled everywhere "what we just did was..." Regina stopped to look at her, her eyes held a softness that Emma had rarely seen and her cheeks were still flushed "...it was more than that. I just-kissing...is for someone you love."

"Oh," Emma drew back. That was unexpectedly sentimental for Regina "okay, then," she shrugged. There wasn't much to argue with there. She certainly wasn't in love with the other woman. Liked, sure, lusted, definitely, love? Hell no.

"So are you going to help me clear up this mess or not?" Regina waved the papers at her.

Emma grinned "I prefer making the mess rather than cleaning it up," she tossed over her shoulder as she left the library with a swagger.

XxXx

"Emma."

"What's up kid?" Emma said as she finished tucking Henry into bed. He was there a little earlier but the poor kid looked like he was dead on his feet. Which actually worked out well for her because she hadn't seen Regina since dinner where the other woman alternated between glaring at her and studying her every move.

"Can you stay until I fall asleep?" Henry asked sounding very small. He had the covers tucked up to his chin so only his face and hands peeked out.

Emma frowned and stroked back his hair. He didn't have a fever. "Hey, you're not still scared about the Captain are you?"

Henry shook his head, his brown hair flopping each way. "I had a nightmare last night."

Please do not tell her that the nightmare was her shagging the Queen. Emma just managed to keep her face from twisting out of control. "A nightmare about what?"

Henry shrugged "the dark, it kept calling my name."

Emma nodded but felt a little out of her depth. She cast around until her gaze landed on the candle on Henry's nightstand. "Ok, well, I'll light this candle and I'll stay here until you fall asleep. How does that sound?"

"I don't need a nightlight," Henry glared at her.

"Of course you don't," Emma said lighting the candle anyway. It was a cool candle holder. It was shaped like a three mast ship with a bronze bow to stop the candle melting down and setting fire to everything. The candles all acted like the masts. The sails were metal decorations that went around the middle of the candles to complete the effect. "But how can I watch over you if I can't see you, huh?"

Henry relaxed a little but still had that unhappy crease in the middle of his forehead. He went to sleep watching the flickering candle. The movement of the flame almost made it look like the ship was sailing. If you had a kids imagination anyway.

Emma waited until she was sure Henry was asleep and then waited a little more. He didn't seem to slip into any nightmares so she kissed his head and pulled the blanket over him where he had tucked it down then left. She was really late tonight. Any other night she might have gone on to bed thinking she would disturb Regina if she visited her now. Tonight, however, she knew Regina would be awake and waiting for her.

She was right. Regina sat in the parlour the firelight making her glow which matched the suppressed emotions simmering behind her eyes. "You think I'll let you get away with making me wait Emma?" Her voice was controlled and level but with a warmness that made Emma smile.

"Sorry," She shrugged unapologetically "Henry was worried. Kid had a nightmare."

"Is he okay?" Regina sat forward with concern breaking the seductive atmosphere.

"He was fine when I left, I'll check in on him again when I'm finished with you," Emma grinned making her way deeper into the parlour rather than across to sit at the fire like she normally would. The book hadn't even been lifted from its stand tonight.

"Finished with me?" Regina challenged as she stood up "My dear, what makes you think I will let you leave. I told you, you will never escape me."

Emma grabbed her and pulled her fully flush with her body. Regina gasped and Emma grinned victoriously. "Escape? Oh no. Escape is the furthest thing from my mind right now," and it was odd how she never fully appreciated kissing until it was taken off the table. Kissing was a great move to start any seduction and finish it now that she thought about it. But Emma was nothing if not adaptable. She kissed the underside of Regina's jaw and her check and all around her face teasingly. Regina watched her like a hawk both turned on and wary that she would take advantage and go for the lips. She should be Emma often broke the rules that didn't suit her.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me so far, you guys are awesome. I got some extra time this week so managed to get more done. Hopefully the wall of words won't scare you guys off. Sorry about last week I forgot to mention the rating hike, I totally spaced hope it didn't startle you guys too badly! Some of you commented on the tonal shift and I've hinted as to why here but it should be explained fully later.

A/N2: Can someone please write or point me to a fic where Catherine (Charmings wife in our world) gets a happy ending? Charming is such an ass to her and she doesn't deserve it. I'm going to have to write a Regina/Catherine/Emma one shot if this keeps up.

XxXx

Emma watched as Regina as she slept. Her naked shoulders were peaking out of the grey silk blanket as she lay on her stomach. In sleep Regina didn't look peaceful, her face was smooth but her mouth had down turned edges and there was still sharpness about her. Emma resisted the urge to do something stupid like kiss her shoulder.

She had to get back to Henry, she didn't want him having another nightmare and her not being there. She didn't move. She had slept with Regina. Sleeping with strangers was hardly new to her but the fact that she couldn't leave was.

"I understand why you called my mirror 'creepy'," Regina murmured stirring from sleep "watching people as they are unaware is unsettling," she turned over and sleepily regarded Emma "you seem deep in thought, a highly unusual look for you."

Emma rolled her eyes and slapped Regina's shoulder. "You're not in love with me," she said and that caught Regina's attention making her come fully awake. She sat up and blinked the sleep out of her eyes.

"You were aware of that before we entered into this," Regina put out cautiously. "I have a fondness for you, more than I should, we've already discussed this."

Emma gave her a small smirk "I know. I'm not in love with you either, like those stories where they fall in true lust first, I don't even think this is like that. Henry and I have to go home we both agreed on that. I don't want Henry to know that we're having sex."

Regina looked at her steadily "if that is what you want."

"Will this make it harder for you to let us go?" Emma asked the question that had been keeping her up. Regina had made her feel more than she should have lately so in typical Emma fashion she had reverted back to her old ways when things unsettled her. She either fought it or fucked it and she might have chosen the one way that would screw everything up.

"You did not seem concerned about this yesterday," Regina said with her eyes narrowed "have you lost your trust in me that easily?"

"You're hot," Emma shrugged "I got caught up in the moment I didn't think about how this changed things," because this is what she did. She rushed into things without thinking especially when she was running away from something.

"I promise you Emma that this has not changed my plans," Regina said flatly. Emma sensed the truth and nodded.

"I have to get back to Henry," Emma said standing and gathering her clothes.

"So this arrangement will continue?" Regina asked smoothing out the covers and avoiding Emma's eye.

Emma felt her lips twitch at the sight. Regina was cute when she was trying to hide how self conscious she felt. Emma picked up her figiting hand and kissed the palm "I'd like it too, so long as you don't do anything stupid," she teased.

Regina rolled her eyes but didn't take her hand away "then we shall have a rather eventful sex life since I am not in the habit of doing stupid things."

Emma just grinned and finished getting dressed she paused on her way out the door "this wasn't a mistake right?" She tried not to let her nerves show.

"You could never be a mistake Emma. I could not have planned this better myself," Regina gave her a soft smile and she nodded feeling more confident and left.

XxXx

Emma winced as she undressed in the bathroom. It was the first day back at training since she had been hurt. Ignacio had gone lightly on her but even then she felt like she had taken on another werewolf.

"So pride is not an effective painkiller," she looked up to find Regina standing with her arms crossed and an 'I told you so' expression on her face. Her smug voice was mocking as she continued "I shall alert the kingdom. Sheer force of will is not enough to recover from a battle, truly a miraculous discovery."

"Shut up," Emma threw her shirt at Regina.

The other woman caught the clothing and marched towards Emma. She grabbed her hand and led her to the big bath that was unusually filled with hot water. "Sit," Regina pushed her down and then busied herself taking off Emma's trousers.

"Oh, is this going to be a tongue bath?" Emma laughed as Regina took off her underwear.

"You're an idiot," Regina said that like it was an undisputable fact. Emma was going to take great offence to that until Regina started to unwrap her bandages. She hissed in pain and Regina looked up at her. She deliberately reached out with her hand and maintaining eye contact the entire time slapped Emma on the ribs with the back of her hand.

"Ahhhh!" Emma grabbed her side and tears welled in her eyes. "You're a sadistic bitch," she rocked forward breathing deeply and painfully "I can't believe you just pimp slapped my ribs," Emma glared up through her hair.

Regina snorted and effortlessly threw Emma's ankles into the bath causing her to swivel on her butt ungracefully. Emma gave her one last glare before slipping into the warm bath. She let out an indecent moan as her muscles stopped trying to kill her. She still held her side protectively glaring at Regina.

"I want you in my room in an hour, my father is taking Henry to see some woodland creature of some sort," Regina stood up and stared down at Emma imperiously. "Make sure to wash thoroughly dear, I do so hate the taste of peasant sweat."

"Maybe you won't taste anything," Emma grumbled as she glared.

Regina gave her a sceptical look "somehow the fact that you had a child out of wed lock and tried to mount me on my desk leads me to seriously question your ability to assert enough self control to without sex."

"You might just be enough of a reason," Emma said.

The Queen smirked at her and ran her eyes down her own body which made Emma's follow greedily. Seeing the other woman's flushed face Regina smirked and arrogantly said "I highly doubt it," before spinning on her heel and walking back to her parlour.

Emma grumbled the entire time she bathed. She was in half a mind to just go back to her damn room but she discovered that Regina had stolen her clothes. She wasn't going to walk back through the entire castle in her bare feet and a bathrobe. She towel dried her hair before resting the towel around her neck like a scarf. She kicked open the door to Regina's parlour and stood in the doorway with an annoyed glare.

Regina sat in her chair by the fire with the book in her lap. The mirror kept flashing to show Henry and Mr Mills along with a troupe of guards at different angles.

"You let him go out with guards?" Emma said her previous annoyance replaced by worry.

"They are the Heartless, they are my elite guards, I hold the life of every one of them, they are completely loyal," Regina reassured her but Emma wasn't convinced "the Mirror will keep an eye on them the entire time they are gone. They are only visiting the orchard; no animal can enter my land unless I allow it."

"Still, I don't like the thought-" Emma crossed to the Mirror's frame but Regina caught her half way.

"Emma," Regina cupped her cheek "I would allow nothing to harm Henry or my father. I assure you they are perfectly safe. Now, come sit by the fire."

Emma allowed herself to be guided over to the fire. She frowned as she noticed something "there's only one chair?"

"Ah, so it seems," Regina spread out her long limbs and lounged on her chair like it was a throne. "Whatever shall we do about that?" She asked with a fake sweet tone that the wolfish glint in her eye told Emma was a lie without using her superpower.

"I guess we'll just have to share," Emma played along with a sharp smile of her own.

Regina patted her lap invitingly and Emma smirked. Normally she would laugh at anyone who tried to get them to sit on their knee like a child but this was going to lead to chair sex. She liked chair sex. She sat down and settled herself her knees slightly parted. She wasn't going to seem too eager. Regina was going to have to work for it. Not overly hard since Emma never did like denying herself things she liked.

Regina passed Emma the book and started to undo the knot of the bathrobe without shame. Emma turned her head partially and she stopped. They had a mini battle of wills before Regina declared herself the winner and slipped her hand inside the bathroom and went for Emma's side.

Emma jerked up but Regina followed her and kissed her neck. Emma stopped as her side tingled but didn't hurt.

"I've been told that I have a healing touch," Regina smirked.

"Well, I have more will power then my reputation would suggest," Emma smirked gripping Regina's hand.

"Read the book Swan," Regina rolled her eyes and Emma settled firmly into her lap and opened the book.

XxXx

Emma smiled to herself as she walked towards Regina's library. She should not be as happy as she was, there was absolutely no reason for it. But it was hard to hide the affect good sex had on her mood, even Henry had noticed she seemed a lot happier. She had avoided his insistent questions which had been easy to do since the poor kid hadn't slept well lately. That turned out to be a blessing because she had no doubts that if he was firing on all cylinders he would pester her about her good mood and she was never having that talk with Henry.

She hoped the kid had already had 'the talk' because thinking of trying to explain sex to Henry made her shudder. She couldn't imagine giving him any advice that wouldn't scar him and give him way to much insight into Emma's own kinks and hang ups.

She couldn't really remember a time when she didn't know about sex and that was before the internet became so easily available. She was sure Henry had some idea right? Although this was the kid that believed in fairy tales and magic books that could take them to another world. Ok, Emma frowned, she had to give him that one.

"-troops are moving already. They seem to be heading towards us but there is no telling if they will come this far. Our spies tell us they aren't prepared for crossing the desert but do look set to cross the mountains," A strangely deep male voice said.

Emma stopped just before the doors of the library. Whoever went in last hadn't shut the door all the way leaving enough of a crack that Emma could see through into the room. Regina stood at the head of the giant map that she had shown Emma weeks ago. On one side of the map with their back to Emma stood a man in full armour, two more men stood at the end of the map similarly dressed. Their armour was ornate and more flashy that practical. Emma thought she vaguely recognised them from the day Regina had her guards lined up in the courtyard. This must be a few of her generals.

"Any movement elsewhere?" Regina asked frowning at the map.

"Maleficents forces have converged near our borders. We have double patrols and put men on standby," the general with the deep voice spoke again pointing at the map.

Regina nodded "yes, she sent me a letter this morning. It seems she's having trouble with the giants again."

"Should we send men to help?" The general inquired.

Regina shook her head "she said that would not be necessary but move a few more guards to the outer villages in case the giants decide to pick on my subjects." The general nodded.

"Ms Swan," Emma jumped as the guard that usually stood outside Regina's library snuck up on her holding a serving try with drinks. He frowned and she opened the door for him wanting to dodge awkward questions like why was she eavesdropping.

Regina looked up as she let the guard in with a tray, "Emma," she said cautiously "what a surprise, no sword practice today?"

"I'm a little sore," Emma put on a carefree smile but noticed that one of the generals had moved to block her view of the map "thought I would visit you."

Regina nodded "we were just about to move to my parlour," at her words the map rolled away and the generals all started moving to the door even the poor guard with the serving tray.

"I don't want to interrupt," Emma said as two of the men carried the map passed her.

"There is better light in my parlour," Regina lied going to walk passed her too.

"Are you okay?" Emma said grabbing her arm. Regina looked off, stiff and reserved, maybe she didn't want her people to know about them?

"All is well," Regina lied again her eyes darting away "I was just sent some disturbing news that is all."

"What?" Emma asked.

Regina pulled away from her gently "nothing that should concern you. Maleficent is being her usual difficult self, I will see you at dinner."

"Okay," Emma let her go with a frown. Regina awkward stood there for a second seeming to hesitate before turning away abruptly leaving Emma to stare after her.

XxXx

"Inside," Emma jerked her head towards Regina's bedroom. She would be lying if she said she hadn't been thinking about ruining those crisp sheets the whole way through dinner. The thought of Regina spread out and bent over them had kept her on a slow boil all evening.

"This is my room, I give the orders," Regina jerked her inside and with her own teasing nips at Emma's jaw. She pushed Emma so she fell backward across the bed and with a heated look reached behind her to untie her dress. Emma watched avidly as the black material loosened and then slid like silk down her body revealing her gorgeous skin. Regina was paler than Emma and didn't have any flaws that Emma could see. Her own body had indents and scars from an active life and muscles from the gym but she wasn't even remotely ashamed of her body. She looked good and she knew it.

Regina was surprisingly strong for a woman who's job seemed to be endless paperwork. Emma had noticed the definition in her arms before but she had never seen her legs before. "Magic enhancements?" Emma grinned looking her up and down. Her smug look might have been compromised slightly by her dry mouth.

Regina smirked obviously able to see the affect she was having. "I was once considered the fairest of them all," she said arrogantly which only turned Emma on. Emma hated the fact that she was attracted to assholes with more pride than sense. But she had to admit all that confidence was such a turn on in Regina. Emma couldn't decide if it was because she seemed happy with herself, something Emma had fought hard to be, or because she wanted to act out all her juvenile fantasies about knocking down authority figures.

The thought of Regina under her and begging made her shiver. She sat up and pulled Regina between her legs so she could bury her face in her breasts. Regina's breasts were small, a little more than a handful but not much. Emma had never been into woman except for the odd craving but she could spend forever nibbling those dark nipples. Especially if it meant she could feel Regina's hands coming up to tangle in her hair and her neck arch back in one long lickable column as her mouth fell open in a gasp.

Hands in her hair tightened painfully and she was forced back and made to look up. Regina's eyes were heavy but that didn't dilute the intensity of her gaze. "Emma," and it just wasn't right that her mouth was still perfect, her lipstick and all. It should be bare and kiss swollen, Emma darted forward but Regina had a strong grip that would let her go anywhere. "Now, Ms Swan," and they both got turned on at that "this is my room, I own everything inside," Regina threw her so her face landed on a pillow at the top of the bed. She didn't see her face as she finished speaking but the words made her crotch clench in excitement. "Including you," she should not have been turned on by the possessive tone.

Emma felt herself turned and her trousers pulled off. She didn't wear underwear no matter what world she was in. Regina's nostril flared and her eyes narrowed as she took in her cunt. She wasted no time in moving closer. Emma felt the long lines of their thighs slid against each other their soft skin brushing everywhere. She could feel the heat in her body. "Take of that stupid shirt before I rip it off Ms Swan," Regina ordered grasping her hips.

Emma didn't want a repeat of having to dart through the halls with a torn shirt. She quickly stripped it over her head having to sit up to do so. They came eye level once more and Emma's eyes darted to Regina's lips. The lipstick made them seem like bright red flags taunting her. Regina had to have read her mind because a hand came up and jerked her head to the side and those teasing lips worked her throat like a vampire.

Emma gasped her own hands coming up to run through Regina's hair. She didn't pull, she wasn't the bitch here. Regina's lips were consuming her neck finding every spot that made her groan. As long as she stayed away from that spot just were her ear met her jaw Emma could keep focus. Regina's other hand slipped downward into her wetness. She groaned and arched her hips, Regina's fingers and mouth felt wonderful. Unlike the usual fast fucking they were taking their time to build her up.

"Emma," Regina gasped wetly in her ear sounding just as out of control and desperate as she was.

"Regi-ha," Emma bit her lip but Regina's name was too complicated to get out when her fingers were rubbing her clit that way.

Regina pushed her away and she fell limply back on the bed without fighting. Shamelessly she bucked her hips her hands reaching back to grab the ornate iron headboard. Her fingers wrapped around the many intertwining vines of the iron orchard to ground her.

"I have never seen anyone that takes so easily," Regina paused to kiss her upraised knee "so honestly and so shamelessly to sex," Emma didn't even try to hide her reaction to the gravelly tone Regina's voice had taken on. It was like she was growling. "You are the pinnacle of wantonness, Ms Swan, what would your family say, if they found you spread out on my bed like a serving wench, clenching so wet and so tight around me?" Regina purred.

Emma's fog filled mind only distantly registered the words. Her body immediately reacted when the iron headboard she had been gripping gripped back. "You take to this so perfectly. Like a true whore," Regina's purr continued unabated but with a steel edge to it. Her eyes were looking directly at Emma but Emma didn't think she was seeing her. Emma's arms tried to pull away but the headboard wouldn't let her budge. When Regina kept speaking calling her names it fed the panic that was overwhelming the pleasure. Without really thinking she brought back her foot and lashed out. Regina flew off the bed clutching her face and tumbling undignified over the end her legs shooting up like race flags.

Emma's struggle against the headboard grew so vicious the bed started to move with her. "Let me go!" her voice sounded frayed and she was just about able to contain a scream. "Regina I swear to fucking god! If you don't let me go right the fuck now! I'll beat the shit out of you!"

Regina who had just pushed herself up clutching her face looked murderous. Emma thrashing on the bed looked like a crazed animal in a trap. She met Regina's eyes with a look more thunderous and homicidal that it startled even the Queen.

"Hey! Calm down," Regain tried to get passed her thrashing but Emma wouldn't stop. The headboard released her when Regina raised her hand and quick as a flash she was up and on the other side of the bed. "Emma? Emma!"

"Fuck you!" Emma snapped gathering her clothes. "I'm not a whore!"

"Emma, hold on," Regina tried to soothe her but she was far too angry. Regina came to stand in front of her and grab her arms. Emma violently shrugged her off and just stopped herself from punching her in the face. Regina took it all in with wide eyed surprise but the initial fury had burned itself out leaving a stunned silence between them.

"I-I don't like it when my hands are trapped," Emma explained stuttering more with anger than anything else. She turned her head to the side to regard Regina still tense and upset.

Regina was doing her best to seem soothing and non threatening. It didn't come naturally to her. She nodded as Emma spoke "okay, I'm sorry, I did not realise that was your hard limit." She reached out a hand to stroke the skin of the arm Emma was using to hug her clothes to her chest. Emma allowed it but was still tense.

"We are still figuring each other out," Regina was acting like she was trying to coax a wild animal down. Emma was still upset but let Regina guide her to sit on the end of the bed. She resisted when Regina tried to take her clothes and the other woman backed away quickly her hands raised in a peace gesture. "There are of course things that we detest. You do not like to be restrained, I know that now. I will never do that again, I promise," Regina said sincerely her eyes were pleading with Emma to understand but she wasn't quite ready to forgive yet.

"What's your limit?" Emma asked curiosity drawing her out of her hostility. She was still weary though.

Regina blushed kneeling down in front of her closed knees. "I find the idea of anal intercourse to be repulsive," the other woman actually shuddered which made Emma laugh. The clothes in her arms drooped slightly and the Queen smiled at her. "I just cannot understand how anyone can find that appealing," she continued softly resting her hands on Emma's knees.

Emma shrugged "there is worse things. It's not that bad compared to some of the stuff people have asked me to do."

"Oh?" Regina raised her eyebrow "and did you do those things?"

"Some," Emma looked away with a faint smile "some turned out to be kinky but good others not so good. There are some things I would never do." She looked at Regina harshly.

Regina nodded opening her legs a little "like being restrained."

Emma nodded "or let someone call me a whore," her eyes narrowed.

That made Regina pause and her hands stopped their soothing stroking "I apologise. I have no idea what came over me," she looked up raising herself so Emma could fully see her eyes "I do not think you are a whore or anything else derogatory Emma. You have shown yourself to be brave," Regina took her hands and the clothes fell to either side of them. She kissed the back of each hand as she spoke making sure to keep eye contact "caring, resourceful," she turned the hands to kiss the palms "and the most fascinating woman I have ever met. Please let me show you how sorry I am."

Emma's hands followed Regina as the other woman slipped fully between her thighs. She gripped her hair harshly and jerked her head up. Regina's eyes were still soft even after the harsh jerk and Emma glared at her. She wanted to make this point clear "don't you ever try and make me feel ashamed for liking sex. I like fucking and neither you nor anybody else has the right to tell me that makes me some kind of tramp."

Regina nodded and Emma's hand loosened its grip. "You should never be ashamed at something you are good at" Regina murmured lowering her head "and you are very, very good, Ms Swan."

XxXx

"Where were you?" Henry's voice was accusing as she sat down for breakfast. "I want to see you last night and you weren't in your bed."

"Did you have another nightmare?" Emma asked with concern as she peeled an orange. She felt like she was suffering from a hangover without the fun drinking part.

"No," Henry lied avoiding her gaze. She stared at him and he caved "just a little one."

"I'm sorry, I was-" Emma broke off as she realised she didn't have an excuse that wasn't sleeping with the Queen. "It won't happen again."

"But wher-" Henry started to ask her but the door opened and Mr Mills entered.

"Master Henry, it is time for your lessons," Mr Mills's smile also included Emma which was surprising. "You do not want to keep Master Ignacio waiting."

"Come on we don't want to be late," Emma grabbed another apple and ushered Henry to his feet.

Sword lessons were the last thing Emma wanted to do but she overcame her laziness as answering Henry's question was a worse option. Her mood eventually gave way and she started to feel better. Henry had more or less forgotten their conversation and they had great fun sparing with each other. Emma dodged his wild swing and kicked him on the behind laughing. He was actually much better but they usually spent the last ten minutes goofing off before Henry left for his maths class.

"Good practice today young Master," Ignacio waved as Mr Mills came to collect Henry. Mr Mills gave Emma a wave when they left which she returned surprised. "Now," Ignacio turned towards her with a gleam in his eyes that made Emma tense. That was never a good sign. "Let us move on to the more advance lessons, yes?"

"Catch!" Ignacio threw a wooden axe at her and she fumbled but caught it. "I have been thinking of you for awhile Ms Swan, and have come to the conclusion that duel welding is much more your style."

"Yeah, we've been practicing with that for awhile," and Ignacio had been kicking her ass.

"Yes, we have been duel welding with swords. Which you might remember, you are less than adept with. One sword you can do fine but two? Terrible. Most tutors would have you wield a dagger or short sword seeing your ineptitude. I however," Ignacio puffed himself up unfazed by Emma's glare "have reasoned that you should duel wield with axes. Alternatively a sword and axe!"

"Huh?" Emma looked at him confused as he took up his stance on the opposite side to her.

"The sword and shield are too noble a combination for a dirty little brawler like yourself," Ignacio continued. He did hear himself insulting her right? "An axe is much more common. It is less finesse and more destruction. The only thing we need to build now is the strength to back up your idiotic rashness."

"Stop with the insults!" Emma snapped and Ignacio drew back surprised. She busied herself getting used to the weight of the axe in her left hand. Usually they bantered back and forth but she must still be a little sensitive after last night.

Ignacio tilted his head, his keen eyes seen much more than Emma wanted him too. He didn't press it however and instead fell into his stance. "On guard, Ms Swan, if we do not have time for talking we certainly have no time for being idle."

Emma got into her stance and spent the rest of the afternoon getting her ass kicked.

XxXx

"You didn't come to my room," Regina said after she opened the door to her room.

"No," Emma shrugged looking away "with Henry's nightmares I wanted to be close by in case he needed me."

Regina nodded but was still frowning "so it has nothing to do with last night?"

"No, the kid needs me is all," Emma still hadn't moved from the doorway blocking Regina's entrance.

"You would not look at me during dinner either," Regina said bring her hand up to stroke Emma's cheek. "I get the feeling that I have upset you."

Emma snorted pushing away from the door frame nicely evading Regina's out stretched arm. She went back to sit on the chair by the fire that she had been brooding in before she was disturbed. "Don't flatter yourself. This has nothing to do with you."

"Then something is wrong?" Regina came in and closed the door behind her.

"Look," Emma gave her a smile that was patronising and dismissive but her eyes were hard "I got what I wanted. Usually I'd be gone now but the whole being kept prisoner really makes one night stands awkward."

Regina glared back at her "Emma, you can lie to yourself all you like but do not expect me to take it. I upset you, I apologised and you accepted my apology. But I seemed to have lost your trust. That is unacceptable. Tell me how I can remedy that."

"There's not much that can be done. You think I'm a whore that can be bought," Emma glared "I fuck who I want. I make the choice. And right now, I don't want to fuck you Regina. Get over it."

"That word you are so fond of 'fucking'. Is that what we were doing these past few weeks?" Regina settled herself in the chair opposite.

"No that's what we did last night," Emma glared.

"Then you are correct. I no longer wish to fuck you either Emma," the Queen crossed her legs and the hem of her dress rode up. "When people in this world have sex with someone they do not value highly we call it 'rutting.' I do not wish to do that with you either."

"You want to make love," Emma mocked viciously.

Regina flinched slightly but picked invisible lint off her clothing "neither of us love the other Emma. The distain in your tone when you mention the word leads me to believe you do not hold it as sacred as I do. Fair enough. I have no desire to lie to you. I do not wish our new arrangement to come to an end. Therefore I propose we have sex. Simple. I find myself attracted to you an unprecedented amount and I am not in the habit of denying myself what I want."

"I'm not something you own," Emma snapped.

Regina nodded her head but she was looking increasingly frustrated. "I have you trapped in a castle surrounded by guards and an enchanted forest and you still disobey, mock and conduct yourself with outright rudeness towards me. I, more than anyone, know that you are not a thing to be owned." Regina stood and with all the flexibility of a steel bar knelt at Emma's feet. "If it will finally make you understand that I hold you only in the highest of regards then I will submit to you tonight." Regina laid a pair of shackles on her lap with a frown. It was obvious she hated having to do this.

"You're going to let me do anything I want to you?" Emma said hiding her face as her hands traced the shackles. They looked like the same ones she had worn her first night here.

"Yes," Regina forced out through gritted teeth.

"Undress and get on the bed," Emma ordered standing up. "You're going to have to leave after we're done. I don't want Henry to find you."

XxXx

"Still not sleeping well?" Emma asked Henry with concern deliberately not looking at Regina who sat down with a wince.

"No, I keep hearing someone call my name," Henry yawned looking pale.

"Do you have anything for bad dreams?" Emma asked fighting to keep the smirk of her face when she had to talk to Regina.

"I will see what I can do," Regina gave a tight smile trying not to squirm.

"Don't worry Henry, Regina will get those nasty dreams to go running," Emma said with a wink filled with good humour. She was in a great mood.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Henry asked with a painfully embarrassed flush. It had obviously been hard to ask that.

Emma paused with a grape halfway to her mouth. Against her will her eyes darted to Regina who looked just as horrified with the suggestion. But one look back at Henry made up Emma's mind.

"Forget it, it was stupid I'm not a kid," Henry mumbled pushing away his plate and getting ready to leave.

"Of course you can," Emma quickly reached out to him "I was just surprised you would give up your awesome new room that's all. You can be my teddy bear," she grinned at him.

Henry looked relieved and it struck Emma that that was the first thing he'd actually asked of her. Henry didn't ask her for things. He just waited and took whatever affection she gave him. She stared at him and her smile dropped, did he even know how to ask? She certainly didn't. "You can stay with me for as long as you like," she said with an intense seriousness that to Henry must have seemed odd. But didn't he get what she was really saying "I want you to stay with me."

"Geeze," Henry rolled his eyes "now you're starting to sound like the old guys that hang around the park."

Emma laughed but Henry seemed much happier. She continued eating her breakfast until something really sharp hit her shin "OW!"

"Sorry," Regina glared "my foot slipped."

XxXx

"Emma!" Henry yelled excitedly running down the corridor after she had finished her sword lessons. "Emma! Guess what?"

"What?" Emma grinning playing along with him. She had just finished bathing and all her muscles were relaxed. Her skin was flush with a healthy glow. She couldn't find Regina or else she would have tried to use that big tub for more than just bathing.

"The snow fell really heavy last night!" Henry said excitedly. Emma couldn't follow his thought. It had been snowing hard for awhile. "The Queen is going to take us out on her sleigh!"

"What?" Emma drew back in surprise.

"Yeah, come on we have to get our coats," Henry tugged at her hand excitedly "Mr Mills even let me skip reading class to go! I haven't seen the horses since the start of winter. Its going to be amazing."

After they had got their coats they met up with Regina and Mr Mills who were waiting by a huge red sleigh. The sleigh was sleek and if Santa's ride was a convertible this was a hummer. It was at least the size of a minivan and had six powerful black horses all royally dress to pull it. Regina was standing in her traditional long black fur while Mr Mills was equally dressed against the weather complete with ear muffs, gloves and scarf which he somehow managed to make look dignified.

Emma was dressed in one of her light blue leather jackets that passed for a trench coat in this world. She also had hate gloves and scarf on but she probably looked as goofy as Henry did in his which were just a little too big for him. Henry took off like a shot to pet the horses leaving her with the adults.

"Who is going to drive this thing?" Emma said suspiciously. She eyed the horses whose breaths were frosting in the cold air. They looked untrustworthy.

"That would be me," Regina said and Emma's heart sank. "You do not seem to be reassured?"

"I know you're strong and all..." Emma let her voice trail off as she gazed at the evil looking horses. One whinnied at Henry and let him pet its nose. Probably luring him into a false sense of security. "Henry come back here," she called.

"I assure you Emma, you will be perfectly safe," was Regina smirking at her? Emma glared.

"Young Master," Mr Mills broke in scooping Henry up to sit him in the back seat of the sleigh. The sleigh despite its size only had a front row and back row that Emma could see. "You will be here with me, I plan to tell you all about the grounds."

"That means you, unfortunately have to be up front with me," Regina's eyes smiled at her.

Emma wasn't amused. She didn't want to see upfront. At least she wouldn't have to be brave for Henry's sake. Regina helped her father in to the back seat before holding her hand out to Emma. Emma let out a frost puff of frustration and resentfully grabbed Regina's hand and climbed into the sleigh with less finesse than she would have liked. Regina ascended gracefully of course.

The other woman threw her fur around both of their legs. She had on a smaller black cloak. Emma checked on Henry to find him and Mr Mills sharing a blanket too. "Are we ready?" Regina didn't wait for an answer before flicking the reigns.

Emma grabbed onto the side of the sleigh as they took off.

"How about going around the orchard?" Mr Mills called from the back as Henry gave a whoop of delight.

"An excellent idea daddy," Regina seemed to be enjoying herself. The sleigh turned sharply and Emma slid towards Regina who gave a sly smile. That was totally intentional. "Relax Emma," she said softly looking at her trying to reassure her.

"Don't look at me! Look at the road!" Emma panicked slapping a startled Regina's shoulder.

"These are our apple orchards. As you know Henry, my daughter is awful fond of apples," Mr Mills spoke behind them and Emma turned to see Henry pulling a face at him. The old man chuckled. "They are unfortunately out of season but they are the hardiest stalk."

"I have apple cider made in the summer," Regina said to her "I have a bottle left in my parlour. It's the best apple cider you've ever tasted."

Emma felt Regina take her hand hidden from the view of those in the back. She let herself relax a little "good. I think I could use a drink after this."

They continued on and eventually Mr Mills storytelling and Henry's excitement became background noise that calmed Emma's frayed nerves. Without realising she relaxed into the warmth of Regina and they rode in comfortable silence. She guessed this wasn't so bad.

"Hey! Stop!" Emma shot upright.

"What?" Regina said alarmed drawn the reigns up. The horses protested but did as they were told.

"Look," Emma nodded to a medium seized hill just at the side. Up the top of the hill was a small gazebo that had been buried in the snow. The orchard ended just a few feet away at the bottom. Their skeletal branches bent under the snow but left enough of a gap that the area around them could be seen clearly. Emma jumped out of the sleigh. "Come on Henry!"

Henry didn't need to be told twice and scrambled over Mr Mills despite his protests. He jumped down out of the sleigh and followed Emma.

"Here," Emma pulled a large bit off wood out of the ground. It was long enough to fit three and looked like the entire side of a tree fell off in one lump. "Come on!"

"How did you spot that?" Henry asked amazed.

"Skill, kid," Emma smirked at him as they ran to the top of the hill. She threw it down and Henry looked at her waiting to see what was next. Emma rolled her eyes and sat on the wood impatiently waiting for Henry to join her. As soon as he did they took off down the hill gripping tightly to the sides and cheering. She used to do this as a kid. She didn't have anything in the foster home so she would have stolen the neighbours bin lids to go sledding. She wanted Henry to have that.

They skidded sideways as they stopped and both grinned up at a bemused looking Queen and her father. "The sleigh nearly gives you a heart attack, yet hurtling down a hill on nothing more than a twig, fazes you not in the slightest?"

"It's not a twig," Emma said offended holding up the large plank of wood.

"Lets do it again!" Henry bounced excitedly by her side.

"Race you!" Emma called back already taking off running.

"Cheater!" Henry charged after her.

Eventually they convince Regina and Mr Mills to have a go as well. Emma was exhausted running up and down the hill so waved Henry and Regina on alone. It was hard to say who looked more uneasy at the idea but they joy of sledding won in the end.

"I wish to thank you," Mr Mills said coming to stand at her side as she watched Henry and Regina argue who would be on the back of the sleigh this time. Regina didn't even pretend to have any shame about arguing with a ten year old. Henry also didn't care he was arguing with the Evil Queen who was his jailor and ruler of the land. He was not getting on the back. It wasn't as much fun.

"Thank me for what?" Emma couldn't take her eyes off the arguing pair. She could feel the frost biting the tip of her nose and cheeks but she couldn't stop the small smile on her face.

"When you put Henry in danger trying to leave us, I thought you a rash idiot," Mr Mills said and Emma did look at him then. He was still looking fondly at the pair on the hill who seemed to be playing rock paper scissors. "I thought you were only trouble. I now realise the rash idiot was myself in jumping to conclusions. I misjudged you Ms Swan. For that I deeply apologise. You charged after Henry to protect him in a wolves den without thought to your own safety. I understand now you have only the best interest of the boy at heart."

"Well, he is my-" Emma broke off still not able to say it.

Mr Mills glanced at her knowingly "you might be that boys mother but you did not raise him. Do not look so shocked Ms Swan. I am a parent. I have raised Regina since birth. She takes me for granted and abuses me in the way family is wont to do. She is sure in the knowledge I will always be there. Henry and yourself both look amazed the other is still there. You have a bond, there is no mistaking it. But there is also no disguising it as anything other than new to you both. I won't tell my daughter. As far as I am concerned, you are family." He smiled kindly at her and she didn't know how to react.

"Uh, thanks?" She hoped her face wasn't as confused as she was.

Mr Mills gave a soft laugh the breath puffing out ghost like. "I love my daughter Ms Swan but I am not blind to her flaws. Since you have come, she has changed. I hope that continues."

"Wait, what?" Was she getting parental approval? Her face was definitely alarmed this time.

Mr Mills just gave her another knowing look "do not let my daughter ruin this. The castle has not been this filled sinc-"

"Emma!" Henry and Regina slid to a stop just before them.

"Come on Ms Swan," Regina teased her "our turn now."

"Okay," Emma agreed quickly anxious to get away from Mr Mills jarring approval.

They got to the top of the hill and Regina scanned around "this will not do, we seem to have shaved most of the snow off this side. Come we shall go over here," she pulled Emma to the back of the hill and threw down the board. "Rock, paper, scissors to see who goes in the back?"

Emma grinned at Regina's excitement and played along.

"Ha! Rock beats paper!" Regina smirked.

"No it doesn't," Emma argued bemused "paper beats rock, rock beats scissors and scissors beat paper."

Regina's face fell and she looked back over the hill in outrage "that little liar!"

Emma laughed "if it means that much to you," she sat on the back and waved Regina in front. Regina settled against her chest happily and Emma rolled her eyes before pushing off. The trees on this side of the hill were much closer and they slid to a stop just after the beginning of the tree line.

Emma released her to stand but Regina turned so they were facing each other. She regarded her seriously with her head tilted before leaning in to kiss her jaw. Emma let her since she knew they were covered by the trees and a hill.

"You didn't pull away," Regina murmured.

Emma brushed her hair back behind her ear "you're cute when you're all excited."

"You have been tense the last few days," Regina cupped her cheek stroking it with her thumb softly. "Have you finally forgiven me?"

Emma frowned but stopped Regina when she drew away. "I never really forgive but I'm willing to start again."

Regina stared at her before laughing softly and standing "that is more generous than I imagined. Certainly, more than I would be in your place."

"Well," Emma smirked standing "I did get my pound of flesh," she leered unashamedly at the Queens rumpled winter gear causing her to blush faintly.

"I hope that I'll get mine tonight," Regina tilted her chin and tried to act aloof but Emma could see the blush on her neck and cheeks and just grinned.

"Maybe," she said lightly picking up the board "lets get back to Henry."

They spent another half hour in the snow before climbing back into the sleigh heading for the castle. Henry was lured back only with the promise of hot chocolate.

"It has to have cinnamon," he ordered seriously.

"Hey," Emma said looking back with surprise "that's how I take mine too."

Henry grinned and Mr Mills gave her a small secret smile.

"You are both disgusting," Regina said with finality as they entered the castle "hot chocolate requires more chocolate. It should not be polluted with cinnamon." She swept her cape off and handed it to the servants that had materialised from the shadows.

Both Henry and Emma were deeply offended by that but neither had a chance to reply before the doors flew open. Standing there like a pink and purple Christmas ball a woman swept off her own cloak tossing it over the head of a passing servant before flinging her gloves and scarf at another.

Snow swirled about her as she titled her head and gave a crooked grin at their stunned faces "oh honey, the only thing that could ruin hot chocolate is the company," she swept off her fur hat letting her gold curls fall down wildly since they weren't kept back with her usual horned crown "and your company just got infinitely more exciting."

Maleficent was back.

XxXx


	10. Chapter 10

XxXx

"Well dear? Where's my welcome back hug?" Maleficent spread her arms wide as she glided up to them. Her smile was sharp and she didn't even hesitate when she reach Regina's frozen form. She kissed both cheeks with a lingering touch that made Emma's fists clench.

"Maleficent?" Regina cleared her throat shooting an unreadable glance at Emma. "What are you doing here?"

"Darling!" Maleficent swatted her lightly with a limp flick of her wrist as she turned to appraise the rest of them "I always come to visit the week before the Circle. You must all be as sick of this dreadful winter as I am. I swear had I not had any magic I would never have been able to cross the mountain pass. Really dear, you should think about taking off that protection spell that stops teleporting. I swear you're lucky I like you so much or I wouldn't drag myself through this abysmal weather!"

"Is it that time already?" Regina said with actual surprise.

Maleficent raised her eyebrow but seemed to brush pass whatever slip Regina made. "I see you've been out cavorting with your prisoners. Hm," Maleficent eyed both Henry and Emma thoroughly. Emma moved in front of Henry deliberately. Maleficent smirked but quickly dismissed Henry and focused on her exclusively. Emma resisted the urge to shudder. Her gaze was like being poured in baby oil in preparation of sacrifice. "The boy is getting fat. Don't tell me you're actually feeding them? Oh that is darling, Regina," the other witch smirked and Regina's face snapped shut like a bank vault.

"I believe we were going for hot chocolate," Mr Mills interjected stiffly "Maleficent, I understand if you are to weary from your travels to join us. I'll have a servant take you to your usual ro-"

"-Nonsense, old man!" Maleficent cut him off throwing her hands wide and tossing her head. "I haven't seen my dear friend in so long," her voice dropped to an intense purr as her eyes gleamed at Emma "I'm just dying to see who she's been up with."

"What?" Mr Mills snapped.

"Ah, yes, I misspoke," her tone became light and airy as she tried to wave away her words "dying to see what she's been up to since I left."

"Why don't you take Henry and Ms Swan to the kitchens," Regina said without looking at any of them. Emma caught the 'Ms Swan' and she didn't like what that might mean. "I'll see to Maleficent."

"Oh, what a pity," Maleficent paused on her way to the door brushing close to Emma needlessly. They were almost at eye level but Maleficent's heels gave her an inch or two to look down on Emma. She tensed and glared up into her smirking face. "I was so looking forward to getting to know you better. Another time dear," it wasn't a question it was a promise.

Maleficent passed her and she looked at Regina's frozen face. The Queen look on the verge of saying something until Maleficent called sweetly from the door "aren't you coming dear? It's rude to keep guests waiting," Regina's face closed off again and wordlessly she passed by.

"I like her," Henry said with a goofy smile as Mr Mills pushed them on toward their room.

"That is because the conniving viper has drugged you," Mr Mills said firmly. It was the roughest tone she had ever heard him use with Henry. "That horrible cloying bubble like sweetness that you smell every time she is near is just to mask the pheromones she uses to hypnotise the unwary. Make no mistake that woman is trouble."

"Cloying bubble sweetness?" Emma repeated with a half smile. It was a pretty accurate description of the sugary smell that wafted around Maleficent. It was just odd to hear such a fruity description come from the normally reserved Mr Mills.

Mr Mills smiled at her allowing himself to be drawn momentarily out of the funk Maleficent's arrival had put him in. "Yes, all that pink is revolting. She looks like a young girls toy shelf fell on her."

Emma chuckled at the description before her face turned serious "what does this mean for Henry and me?"

"I will allow no harm to come to either of you," Mr Mills looked fierce. A few weeks ago it would have been just Henry he would have protected. She didn't know how she felt about this new inclusion but the lump in her throat was damn distracting. "She usually comes for a week before the Circle and leaves a day or two after. I will make sure she is distracted the whole time, even if I have to poison one of her damn unicorns to do it."

"You wouldn't!" Henry cried horrified.

"Of course not, I was merely being extreme," Mr Mills smiled softly at Henry but she could tell that was a lie. Henry must have been too doped up to realise because he happily skipped on a head.

"How do you stop her smell from affecting you?" Emma asked. She remembered her first night here so long ago where she had been overwhelmed and tried to kiss the witch. She frowned, there was no way that was happening again.

"Hopefully Regina will make her tone it down. Otherwise just breathe through your mouth and focus on one thing really hard," Mr Mills glared ahead of them "for myself I tend to concentrate on what a loathsome creature she is."

XxXx

Maleficent joined them that night at dinner. Mr Mills was not for giving up his seat at the end of the table so she sat directly across from Emma and Henry who were forming a unified front. Or at least they should have been.

"You'll really let me ride one of your unicorns?" Henry said excitedly halfway leaning across the table to talk to Maleficent. "They told me you don't share."

"Of course dear, had I only known you wished to ride one sooner I would have given my permission in a heartbeat. It is true I usually don't share my things, however I have often made exceptions for cute faces such as yourself," Henry blushed and Maleficent's eyes danced. Emma glared at her for blatantly manipulating a ten year old. Maleficent seemed to be enjoying her glare too much for it to be really satisfying.

Emma looked at Regina who had a death grip on her eating utensils. The Queen had been oddly silent and Emma could feel her frustration rising.

"In fact, are you a big connoisseur of magical creatures?" Maleficent smiled leaning towards Henry as if to tell him a secret. The young boy was drawn in star struck. Maleficent's dress was cut indecently low and she should take better care not to flash the table. Bitch.

"I love them," Henry gushed.

"Wonderful, do you know I have an entire menagerie at my castle?" Maleficent was winding him like a clock word doll and Henry was too young to notice. "It is a pity that Regina won't let you visit. Maybe if you were to ask her nicely? I'm sure Ms Swan and yourself would find all sorts of pleasures at my castle," Maleficents eyes shot to Emma briefly conveying her arrogant smirk.

"Can we?" Henry turned to Regina with begging eyes.

"Maleficent exaggerates. She doesn't have an animal menagerie or anything else that the pair of you would find more pleasurable than here," Regina glared a warning at Maleficent who didn't seem disturbed.

"Oh Regina, jealousy will earn you nothing," Maleficent sat back still smirking. She did put on a contrite look for Henry's sake. "Unfortunately this is not to be. Luckily I am a very powerful witch, now that I'm not engaging in evil scheming like some," her eye's shot to Regina in such an exaggerated fashion that Henry couldn't fail to take her meaning "I'm sure I could summon a fairy or two for you. That is of course, if dear Regina will allow them inside her walls?"

Regina looked like she was chewing glass but under Henry's weighing gaze she just nodded jerkily "fine, I'll adjust my wards tomorrow."

"Wonderful!" Maleficent clapped giving Henry a big smile with narrowed eyes "we're going to have so much fun. Don't bother with the vegetables Henry dear, here, try the cake," she extended her fork smiling lasciviously at Emma as Henry literally ate out of her hand.

XxXx

Emma waited in her room. No she wasn't waiting she was just finding it harder to go to sleep. She had changed into a light pair of sleeping pyjamas as the thought of going naked or even in a nightdress while Maleficent was in the castle was disturbing.

She didn't go to read the book tonight and hadn't been sent for either. Not that she was bothered.

A knock sounded at her door and she threw off the blanket in a hurry to answer. "Can I come in?" Regina asked formally. Emma stepped aside. The room was dark with the only light coming faintly from the dying embers on the hearth.

"Maleficent finally finished with you?" Emma asked snarkily.

"What would you have me do?" Regina snapped "while she hasn't got mixed up in any scheming in years that just means she is bound to be bored. She has taken an unhealthy interest in you."

"Me?" Emma repeated.

"Yes, probably because she sees my unusual attachment to you," Regina looked away.

"Oh," Emma drew up short. "What does this mean anyway? Her arrival shouldn't change anything."

"Maleficent always wants what she can't have. She is my friend but that won't stop her going after something she wants. She wants you Emma and she will try everything in her power to get you." Regina reached out for her but she didn't move.

"She'll have a hard fight ahead of her," Emma snorted.

Regina smiled "I fully believe that. There is another matter," Regina hesitated but Emma urged her to go on "the last night of winter will be here soon and with it the Circle meeting. There I should find a way to send you home..."

"That's great," Emma smiled her smile fell when Regina didn't return it "what?"

"Nothing, it is just, I find that I will," Regina looked away from her and took a deep breath "I will miss you when you both leave."

Emma cupped her cheek looking serious "but we have to leave. It's too dangerous for us here," she impressed upon Regina who looked like she wanted to protest. Eventually the other woman nodded and Emma smiled in relief "we're not leaving now. Let's make the most of our time left?"

"What did you have in mind?" Regina murmured both their eyes going to the bed.

"We'll find something to do," Emma said playfully.

XxXx

The next day Emma watched as Maleficent conjured up a small devil like creature in the orchard. That was as close to the castle that Regina would allow her to summon. Mr Mills refused to get out of the sleigh and sat sullenly watching over Henry. She imagined her face looked the same.

Henry of course was overjoyed and insanely curious of the devil like creature. It was hard to miss them both rolling around in the snow.

"Don't worry Ms Swan," Maleficent said suddenly beside her "it is just a lower level imp. Despite its fearsome appearance he has the intelligence of a dog. They're mostly used for fetching and carrying. Henry is perfectly safe."

"Dogs bite," Emma retorted shortly breathing through her mouth.

Maleficent chuckled "I would say you know all about biting," Emma glared at her "now Ms Swan how could you treat me in such a harsh manner? After all I was the one that stopped Regina from crushing your wind pipe, or has the passage of time dulled the memory of her murderous rage?"

"I remember," Emma snapped her feet shifting in the snow.

"Regina is a master manipulator, don't feel bad for falling for her schemes. She managed to take over an entire kingdom of staunch royalists, you would pose no challenge after that," Emma just rolled her eyes "what do you want Maleficent?"

"What do I want?" Maleficent stroked her lip in mock thought. Emma glared and Maleficent turned to her suddenly devoid of all playful graces. "I can see you aren't as stupid as you look or Regina made you out to be."

"I'm a lot more than I look," Emma warned her with a glare.

Maleficent gave her a searching look from head to toe before looking away in contemplation. "I've deduced that much myself Ms Swan. Coming back here to find you rutting with my best friend wasn't a shock. It seemed inevitable. Your chin and jaw are very much your fathers but your cheeks and eyes are just enough like Snow to entice her. You're strong enough to irritate and challenge her but with those wounded eyes that beg to be hugged. In short, gorgeous, damaged and with just enough of a hint to remind her of someone she hates. No," Maleficent smirked rolling her eyes "finding out Regina and you were rutting wasn't a surprise at all. What did surprise me however was that you were doing it off your own free will. You still have your heart which leads me to believe that either Regina has actually grown attached to you," Maleficent snorted at that idea contemptuously "or is grooming you for something else."

"So you're both trying to manipulate me," Emma bit out sharply.

Maleficent waved her complaint any contemptuously "darling that is the least we will do to you. You see I want you. I want you in an honest way. I want your body writing in pleasure undermine. I want your mouth feasting between my legs and I want you spread out and penetrate in every position imaginable," Maleficent shrugged "I'm a simple woman that way."

"Really?" Emma said finding herself darkly amused. She could tell Maleficent was being truthful "is that all?"

"Yes. I only want you for your body. And the pleasure that I got to take you away from Regina. I have no interest in starting a happy family with you and the boy. You can't honestly think Regina will let you go?" Maleficent smirked at her "My friend is many things but she is not selfless. Unfortunately you have managed to become dear to her and it is that that will trap you in the end. You must have noticed how fond of you she is? She doesn't just let anyone into her bed."

Emma tensed but found herself listening to every word. Regina had admitted as much last night hadn't she? She said that she held great affection for her, Emma had felt the hesitation in Regina. Would she really let her go?

"And you would let me go?" Emma said doubtfully.

Maleficent shrugged "after I got bored of you I wouldn't care. Here is my offer Ms Swan. Spend a week alone with me at my castle. That is usually how long it takes for me to lose interest in a conquest. After that, you can go where you like, I'll give you and Henry a horse and supplies and you can trot on over to Snow for all I care."

"That still doesn't get us home," Emma glared.

Maleficent shrugged "true but I'm being honest here. I will definitely release you. Regina will never let you go and you will never escape her. As for sending you back to your world, darling that is dead in the water. Do you know about the spell that brought you there in the first place?"

Emma shook her head.

"Of course not, why would she tell you, it would only make her look bad," Maleficent rolled her eyes "the spell that sent you was actually a curse meant for every fairy tale creature. The fuel for the curse was the heart of the thing the caster loved the most. There was only two things in this world that Regina loved more than herself, the horse she raised from childhood and her father. Her father's heart would have fuelled the spell certainly, unfortunately," Maleficent scowled and shot a disdainful look at Mr Mills in the sleigh "she decided she couldn't kill dear old daddy. So she used the heart of her horse but it was a horse's heart. Whatever affection you feel for an animal can't be true love. The curse would only transport one with such a lame fuel source."

"And she chose me," Emma finished. "Can't we just get her to kill another horse or something?"

Maleficent shook her head "Regina isn't the most affectionate person and at the last count the only people she could tolerate were me and her father. Neither of us would be lining up to be the fuel," Maleficent glanced at her sideways her eyes sharp and narrow as she unleashed a smile that showed off too much teeth. It made her look like a shark. "You do understand that that spell was a curse, right? That's a bad spell dear. Even if she casts it sending you both to your it would more than likely mean you and the boy have a terrible life. Everything bad that could happen probably would," Maleficent turned to face Emma displaying her shark like smile fully "think about it dear, have you had a good life?"

Emma's mind reeled and her knees felt weak. She leant forward suddenly pressing her hand firmly against her suddenly nauseous stomach. That couldn't possibly be true. Could every bad thing in her life be the result of the woman she might be fa-that she had been sharing a bed with? Phantom ropes tightened around her wrists and horrified she straightened up looking at her hands with alarm. They weren't bound but she felt like she was going to be sick anyway.

Maleficent reached out to stroke her cheek giving Emma what would have been an award winning smile. "Honestly darling, the question really boils down to who you trust more, me? Or the devil you know?"

XxXx

That night when Emma helped Henry to pull his thick winter jumper over his head she was far away in her thoughts. "Ow!" Henry flinched as she caught his ear. He pulled down the mythril shirt that he always wore under his clothes, even his pyjamas. "Earth to Emma," he waved his hand across her face then grinned "well maybe not earth. There is no way an imp could be on earth. Tomorrow Maleficent is going to show me a Kelpie."

Emma listened to Henry gush about Maleficent while he changed. Finally she couldn't take no more "Henry," she tried but he ignored her as he threw open his covers to climb inside.

"-which is totally awesome. Maleficent is amazing! Did you see-"

"Operation cobra!"

Henry's mouth snapped shut and he looked at her in confusion.

"Henry," she said seriously putting her hand on the boys shoulder. She really needed him to concentrate because like it or not he was sort of the brains of the operation. "I need you to listen carefully. Put everything cool about Maleficent aside, hard as that might be," she rolled her eyes "Henry do you remember why we haven't escaped?"

"Yeah, we almost died and you said that we have to wait for a better opportunity," Henry nodded trying to follow her.

"Exactly. You see Regina promised me that she would find a way to send us home at the magic circle thing," Henry stiffened and looked ready to protest but she squeezed his shoulder and made sure to not break eye contact. This was serious "we have to go home Henry. That's not up for debate. But I promise you that you won't be alone. The real reason you came here wasn't because of all this fairy tale crap. Sure, that's cool but you came here because you wanted a family," She took a deep breath but went ahead with all the bull headed stubbornness that people accused her off "you got one. Me and you, Henry, we're a team. Going back to the other world won't affect that. I promise you."

"I don't want to be alone again," Henry's lip quivered the same way hers did when she was frightened or trying not to cry.

"Kid," Emma smiled at him "use your super power, am I lying when I say, I will never leave you," she gave a short affectionate laugh "you'll never escape me."

Henry seemed to stare right to her very being before he gave a watery smile and launched himself into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her neck in the tightest hug imaginable. Emma gripped him back just as fiercely.

"Ok," He said swiping at his eyes with the edge of his sleeve "what does this have to do with operation cobra?"

Emma nodded "well, the reason I haven't tried that hard to escape is because I was waiting on Regina to find a way to get us back."

"But now you're not sure that she will?" Henry asked.

Emma tilted her head debating "maybe not. Maleficent made me an alternative offer. What I need for you to do is think clearly. Who do you think we should trust?"

Henry nodded thoughtfully staring down at the floor in contemplation. Emma felt like she was more invested in his answer than a grown woman should be. "Well, the Queen is keeping us prisoner. But if she is trying to send us home that must mean she's not all bad. Do you think she's being honest about that?"

Emma shrugged uncomfortable "I don't know. I think she might be but I'm worried-" she broke off too late. She should not be telling Henry about how she was worried that the Queen might find a way to send them back but would she be willing to let them go? Regina was getting awful fond of them, maybe to the point she couldn't care to let them leave. She rubbed her wrists ideally, there were also other issues about Regina that she didn't want to get into right now.

"Are you worried that she's only been nice to us as an act?" Henry asked.

"No," Emma shook her head "most of the time I really think she might care," it was just that sometimes she could feel Regina looking at her but seeing someone else, or fucking her and punishing someone else. That was definitely not something to tell a ten year old.

"I like Mr Mills," Henry said quietly "I think he really likes us, right?"

Emma sensed the insecurity in his voice. Of course Henry being a lonely kid would like to believe that the old man being nice to him was actually doing so because he loved him. "Definitely," Emma reassured him "Mr Mills loves you like a grandson Henry. I've never once doubted it."

That made Henry give her a small shy smile "I kinda think of him as my granddad."

"I'm sure he would love to hear that," Emma smiled before getting serious again "but I need you to be on your guard. Really study Regina and Maleficent, which one you think is more trust worthy."

"They're both evil," Henry rolled his eyes giving her the 'duh' voice again.

_Which devil do you trust more? _Maleficent's voice echoed in her head. She shook her head to get rid of the voice. "I know but they're our only options. The backup plan, which I don't want to do unless we have absolutely no choice, is bust out of here on that sleigh and head for the hills."

Henry looked excited at that plan which she quickly had to shoot down "No, seriously kid, the last time we did that you nearly died. That is in case of emergency only okay?"

"Ok" Henry mumbled annoyed.

"So operation cobra is back in action," Emma nodded and held out her hand. "Remember to judge them worse than a judge on reality tv," or how society judge unwed pregnant teenagers. Not that she was still bitter about that.

Henry nodded and shook her hand "I'll do my part," he promised seriously.

XxXx

A/N: Hey guys! I just want to tell you that the plot has finally arrived! The next few chapters is the run up to the end and as such the plot is finally here. When I first started this fic it was with these scenes and banter in mind. Over the course of writing some things changed due to the need to foreshadow events ect but I'm really excited because these are the bits I've been waiting for nearly 50,000 words ago. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, I really hope you like Maleficent who bounces between an absolute joy to write and a frustrating scene stealer.

It might get a little shaky on the SwanQueen front and the only consolation I can offer you is the reminder that I'm a diehard SwanQueen fan.

When I started this fic I didn't expect this level of response and support. I didn't even expect this much interest and I'm so thankful to you guys. You continue to wow me and I just wanted to show you my appreciation. So, thanks again.


	11. Chapter 11

"Have fun young master," Ignacio waved as Henry was led away to his lessons by Mr Mills.

"Good luck Ms Swan," Mr Mills smiled at her and she returned it stiffly. She was still uncomfortable with his new attitude towards her.

"Now that they are gone the real fun can begin," Master Ignacio turned on her with a smile that could only be described as shit eating. Emma raised her sword as a reflex.

"I totally agree darling."

They both turned in surprise as the door flew open and Maleficent floated in like she had just been waiting for her cue. A heavy sweet smell seemed to fill the training room settling in like it belonged. She was wearing a pink toga with purple leather boots that against all odds should have made her look stupid but didn't. Emma was honest enough in her own head to confess that might have something to do with the fact she had so much flesh on display.

"Mistress Maleficent," Ignacio reared back in surprise before offering her a small bow "what brings you here?"

Emma shook her head. Hearing someone call Maleficent 'mistress' should not have made her flush. "My darling Ignacio," Maleficent purred lightly stroking his bicep as she prowled around him like a panther, "I've come to spar of course. You know how much I love working up a good sweat."

Her smirk made them both blush. The normally unflappable weapons master coughed before trying to slip away. Maleficent let him go with amusement dancing in her eyes. "Mistress, I am sad to say that neither Emma nor myself would be much of a sparring partner against your magic."

"Darling, you sell yourself short," Maleficent waved away his modesty her smile thick with promise "I believe both of you would be a delightful partner. In reference to the sparring matter however," Maleficent swept into the middle of the room with another smile and a head tilt "I don't plan to use magic. The big stick I carry around is not just for decoration."

"You wish to spar with a staff?" Ignacio said surprised again.

Maleficent's smirk deepened but she didn't actually take the obvious double entendre. Emma's brain wasn't so restrained. "I do hope you're up for it, Ms Swan? I promise not to hit you to hard with my..." her lips actually twisted with amusement as she tried to find a less suggestive word "...rod."

She failed. Maybe it was just her tone that turned everything she said pervy in Emma's mind. Emma hesitated and looked to Ignacio who actually looked a little disappointed. "I'm sure Master Ignacio would be better suited," she stepped back.

"I have no doubt he could satisfy my needs," Maleficent's eyes ran over Emma from top to bottom unashamedly. Her tongue flicked out to wet her bottom lip and Emma was not staring "my desire, however Ms Swan, is solely focused on you."

"We don't always get what we want," Emma smirked back but came to stand in the ring none the less.

"I can see three is a crowd," Ignacio smiled good naturedly and passed Emma the wooden axe and short sword she used for sparring.

"Crowds aren't usually a bad thing but alas today my attention must narrow," Maleficent did sound regretful but the smile never left her face "I'm sure you will be more than enough for me Ms Swan."

"More than you can handle," and Emma meant that as a vague warning not a come on. It didn't seem to come out that way though.

"Shall we?" Maleficent hefted a training staff rather than the ornate one with the dragon wrapped around the crystal.

Emma gripped her axe and moved forward. She was a hell of a lot better with weapons from the last time she sparred in this ring. Maleficent didn't seem as intent to kick her ass as Azzeazal was.

"An axe? How unheroic," Maleficent cocked her head to the side as she struck out with the narrow end of the staff like it was a spear.

Emma flicked her short sword to block but it was obvious Maleficent was just testing her. "Whoever said I was heroic?" Emma laughed.

"I'm beginning to see that," Maleficent's eyes still sparkled but Emma could feel herself being weighed. Maleficent gave her a last grin before launching into a flurry of attacks. Emma used both her sword and axe to fend them off.

It became obvious that Maleficent didn't do much melee combat. She certainly wasn't weak but she didn't have either the strength of Emma or even Regina. Emma realised something as she redirected another blow and twisted to hit Maleficent in the shoulder with the pommel of her wooden sword, she was actually going to win. It was an odd feeling since she had got her ass kicked repeatedly since she came here. She gave a wolfish grin and began to toy with the witch.

Maleficent caught on to what she was doing after she wrapped her knuckles, left knee and right shoulder in quick succession but didn't go in for the kill. Maleficent's eyes narrowed and Emma felt something pull at her heels from behind. She let out a yelp as she fell backwards over nothing. Maleficent smirked down at her with the end of her staff on Emma's throat.

"You cheated," Emma accused annoyed. She sounded an awful lot like Henry at that moment.

"I won," Maleficent mocked.

Emma grabbed the staff and used her whole strength to pull it from Maleficent's grasp. What she meant as a petulant take that, backfired as she pulled too hard and Maleficent landed on her. "Darling," Maleficent drawled raising one eyebrow "if this was what you wanted you need only have asked."

Emma couldn't stop the blush on her face at the other woman's close proximity. Guiltily her eyes shot to Maleficent's lips as her nose filled with the scent of sweet strawberries. She breathed through her mouth and tried to think of something else. Regina's face came to mind making her feel guilty and confused but most of all trapped. She pushed Maleficent back with a frown.

"Oh, now, what happened? I was sure you were going to kiss me," Maleficent pouted resisting her.

Emma froze "you'd let me kiss you?" Regina always had a heart attack at the thought but Maleficent was really flippant.

Maleficent looked confused for a second "of course I would, why wou-oh," she nodded enlightened her mouth twisting gleefully at the realisation "Regina won't let you get that far?"

Emma pushed her off her and stood awkwardly "I thought it was a fairy tale thing," she shrugged more annoyed now than ever. It was hard to say at whom though.

"Oh it is," Maleficent nodded getting to her own feet in a fluid motion "it's one of those 'true love's first kiss' things. I can't believe Regina actually believes that," Maleficent snorted in private amusement. She then mock frowned "but oh," she titled her head with insincere concern "if she doesn't let you kiss her, I guess she mustn't be as attached to you as she claims, hm?"

Emma rolled her eyes and shrugged "we fuck. That's all." She drew back surprised at herself. Why did that sound like a lie?

"That's good new right?" Maleficent purred "maybe she was telling the truth. She might let you go after all."

"I'm going for a bath," Emma strolled to the door before smirking and casually tossing over her shoulder "you can clean up."

XxXx

Emma was relaxing in the clawed tub that sat slightly to the side in Regina's bathroom. The room was mostly dominated by the small swimming pool Regina liked to call a bath. Emma usually didn't bother with it though the water was always heated when she took her bath. The servants had worked out her routine so she never had to worry about hot water. She still missed the simplicity of a shower but after hard training sessions she had gotten used to spoiling herself with a bubble bath.

It was just when she had finally relaxed the last tense muscle that the door flew open. "Darling, you can't be serious, that little tub seems so lonely," Maleficent swept into the room wearing a robe but was soon wearing nothing more than her condescending smile. She dove into the bigger bath before Emma had a chance to finish spluttering.

"You coming? The water is delightfully hot," Maleficent grinned at her as she emerged from the water slicking back her now wet hair.

Emma glared back, honestly she shouldn't have been surprised. Maleficent respect personal boundaries? Ha. "Does Regina know you're using her bathroom?" She growled. She looked across the room to the towel rack. Of course she never bothered to lift a towel closer to the bath, why risk getting it wet when she only had to walk a short distance across the room.

"Well, I couldn't very well use the plebeians washing facilities," Maleficent pouted spreading her arms wide over the side of bath facing Emma without a hint of modesty. The big bath didn't have bubbles to hide behind like Emma's.

"And she doesn't have another fancy bathroom for guests?" Emma raised her eye brow in disbelief.

Maleficent smirked at her "the company isn't as good."

Emma looked away debating with herself. Maleficent was obviously challenging her but she may well be manipulating Emma also. Clearly she had been drugged somewhat during the fight because she wouldn't respond to the other woman so honestly.

"Why don't you come on in," Maleficent gave her an inviting smile but Emma wasn't even tempted "we can further discuss your options of escape."

Emma's brain whirled trying to see how this could go wrong but in the end she gave up. Thinking wasn't really her strong suit but action was where she shone. She pushed herself out of the tub and didn't attempt to hide anything. She stood proudly showing off her body war wounds and all. Unlike Maleficent her hair had been tied up and away from her face so was still dry.

"Is that a werewolf bite?" Maleficent said suddenly fascinated. She approached the end of the bath and rested her chin on her folded arms at the edge.

Emma rubbed at the bite at her shoulder remembering. Her ribs had all but healed but the scars from the fight were still vivid. She shrugged only slightly bothered that that was what Maleficent had chosen to dwell on when she was fully nude. "I think so, don't remember much to be honest."

"Well," Maleficent pushed herself back and Emma was not going to look at her no matter how provocatively she stretched. "I can heal that if you like. Regina always was terrible at the gentle arts."

"I can't imagine you with a healing touch," Emma snorted highly suspicious.

"So I learnt it in order to better torture my slaves," Maleficent shrugged unrepentant "regardless of how I came by my skills, they could help you now. I'll even do your roots for you."

Emma raised her eyebrow. It was true that her dye job was growing out and had she had access to a salon there was no way she would have let her hair get this way but did she really want to owe Maleficent even something as small as that?

"Come on, free of charge. It's mostly for my benefit anyway," Maleficent openly leered at her now "I want you to look your best after all."

Emma snorted and shook her head darkly amused. She eyed Maleficent a second longer and shocked them both when she crossed the room and slid into the bath. Maleficent's eyebrows shot up in surprise before she quickly schooled her features.

"Leave the scars, I'm not that vain," Emma said.

"The scars you'll keep but the natural brown roots are the last straw?" Maleficent seemed amused as she reached out to run her hands through Emma's hair "truly you are a puzzle Ms Swan."

"You never had the patience for puzzles."

They both looked up to see Regina standing at the edge of the bath glaring down at them. She wore a black dress that wrapped around her body. It would have shown off the curve of her ass a sinful amount if it wasn't covered by a light cape of dark netting.

"All that slow manoeuvring was never my style. I preferred to just burst the thing open and see what was inside," Maleficent smirked at Regina and didn't move away. "Now, you my dear, you would sit all night hunched over a puzzle box trying to work out its secrets," Maleficent gave a mocking frown and continued in a conciliatory tone "not that it even did you much good. Even if you did work out the problem you were never satisfied."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Regina responded in a light tone but her gaze was sharp and fixed on Maleficent's hands touching Emma.

"Ah, put away the past," Maleficent finally stepped back and gave a smile "why don't you come and join us darling, I was just getting to know Ms Swan better."

Regina shocked them both when she reached up and her cape fell to the floor quickly followed by her dress. Emma didn't try to hide her eyes wandering all over her pale skin. She remembered trailing her hand up that stomach to cup those little breasts while her mouth nibbled around them. Regina stepped into the water with barely a ripple and possessively ran her hand along the scar at Emma's shoulder. "Does it still hurt?"

"No," Emma responded to the soft tone and didn't take Regina's hand off her shoulder.

Regina's eyes were dark. She wore dark eye shadow that overpowered the brown making it seem like there were shadows in her eyes. Emma preferred it when her face was natural. She could see the flush better and the brown eyes were infinitely warmer. She picked up the wash cloth and gently washed Regina's face. Just because she wanted too.

Regina turned her face into Emma's hands perfectly content to rudely exclude Maleficent from the little world they created. There were times that this woman seemed so fragile and human, like when she played with Henry so joyfully but warily like she knew it was too good to last. Other times she was just a straight up bitch which made Emma wonder what the hell she'd been thinking when started to fuck her.

That was a lie. Regina either bitchy or achingly human was gorgeous. Dark emotive eyes, long legs, fantastic ass and sweet little breasts that made Emma want to stretch her until she could use her as a ventriloquist puppet. But good looks had never really been the deciding factor in her previous fuck buddies. Her natural preference was men so a woman usually had to be a little more than good looking to get Emma going. Maybe it was the arrogance and Emma's not at all secret hate for authority figures or most likely her self sabotaging nature. Her jailor was definitely the worst person to fuck in this situation and Emma wouldn't be herself if she didn't do the worst thing for her.

"Emma..." Regina breathed forgetting herself for just a moment when she used the cloth to caress her parted lips. She still got that irresistible pull in her guts when Regina looked at her that honestly and unguarded. How could this be the same woman that had ruined her life? That was keeping her prisoner?

"How about we make a deal?" Maleficent splashed Regina lightly obviously not content with being ignored.

Regina's face snapped shut as she turned away towards Maleficent with an irritated look on her face. "What?" She snapped.

But Maleficent wasn't talking to Regina she was looking solely at Emma. She flowed towards the pair of them coming to stop with a smile that was just for Emma as she titled her head invitingly. "Seeing what you have to offer Ms Swan," she glanced down meaningfully "I can admit that my want for you has only increased. As such I'm prepared to bargain with you. The Winter Circle is in five days, give me that long to seduce you. I'll show you that I'm more tolerable that you believe. If by the end of the sixth night you still want nothing to do with me I'll leave you in Regina's grasp."

"Maleficent," Regina growled.

Emma narrowed her eyes in contemplation "what's in this for me?"

"The same terms I offered before. You become my pet for a week, do everything I say, I assure you it will be most pleasurable to both of us, then I let you and Henry go. Simple, right?" Maleficent smirked.

"How dare you-!" Regina burst turning to fully face Maleficent who was ignoring her outright her gaze fixed intently on Emma's face.

"I want something more substantial than a 'trust me'" Emma shot back. She ignored Regina when the other woman whirled on her.

"I'll give you my oath, it's a magical promise that cannot be broken once made," Maleficent tilted her chin smiling victoriously.

"I forbid this!" Regina snapped and the water surged angrily flowing over the rim of the bath violently. She had murder in her eyes and looked like her rage was barely kept in check. Maleficent was pushed back suddenly making her stagger.

All the playfulness in Maleficent's face left and Regina flinched and arched upwards like she was being squeezed in a vice. Maleficent scowled at her with a fury that twisted her face making her look repugnant. It was at once out of place yet perfectly at home. "You dare to use magic on me? Your mastery of earth and air is impressive but water and fire have always been my elements. You forget yourself," Regina cried out as Maleficent squeezed tighter "darling."

Regina looked down at her and Emma could feel something thick and threatening gathering in the air. Something snapped inside her and she had had enough, she grabbed Maleficent's head with a tight grip to the back of her skull twisting her hair painfully. Maleficent was so surprised that Regina flopped free of whatever hold she was in and Maleficent couldn't react as Emma jerked her close. She tilted her head until the witch was looking up at her painfully.

"There is something you both need to get straight right now," Emma growled including Regina in her glare. "You both seem under the illusion I'm some sort of whore," Emma glared when Regina looked like she was going to speak. "I've been called worse. The thing that really pisses me off though, is that you're both under the impression that I'm an idiot looking for an owner." She glared at them both "fuck you. Neither Henry nor I is something to be owned. You can both go fuck each other if you think that will ever change."

"Regina," Emma glared solely at her this time "neither the fact that you're my jailer or my fuck buddy means you own me. We have an understanding. You find a way to get Henry and I home and we'll leave you in peace to continue torturing Snow White. If you can't do that-"

"I promised I would do everything in my power to find a way to send you home," Regina snapped.

"You also promised I would never escape you," Emma snapped back making Regina recoil as if she had actually hit her. "Which brings me to you," she eased up on her grip on Maleficent's hair allowing the other woman to straighten up. It was curiosity that stopped the witch from killing her dead Emma knew. "If Regina can't send us back or even if she can but won't, I'll accept your deal. You might have to fight her to let me go, are you willing to do that?"

Maleficent gave Regina a nasty smile that was more like a snake showing its fangs "I'll tear her limb from limb."

"Good, hopefully it won't come to that," Emma looked back at Regina "I may be your prisoner but that is only because it suited me. You haven't seen me when I truly set my mind to something. Understand me, I am not something you own or control, I will do whatever I damn well please," and just too really piss her off Emma pulled Maleficent to her and kissed her. Maybe she was the whore everyone accused her of being.

It had been so long since she had actually kissed someone. She had forgotten how much she liked kissing. How it could feel, how intimate or powerful it could make you. Maleficent didn't even seem surprised as she was pulled into the kiss and flowed with her easily. She made it fun and showy in a fuck you Regina way and when they broke apart they were both wearing the same smirk. Emma tossed her hair over her shoulder after it had come loose from its updo. She got out of the bath with one last look at Regina's enraged face before she picked up her clothes and a towel and called back "Regina I'm using your room to change."

XxXx

The door to the bedroom slammed shut behind Regina as she stormed in in a towel. Emma was already dressed except for her bare feet. She had her boots in hand and wasn't at all surprised to see the livid woman. She was only surprised she had managed to take as long. Maybe Maleficent had kept her behind to gloat.

"What the hell was that?" Regina snapped.

"A kiss," Emma tossed out flippantly "something you would know if you ever let me kiss you."

"I know what that was," Regina snapped "why did you kiss her?"

"Why not?" Emma shrugged then grinned "you don't own me and she's rather good at it. I might just do it again."

"You will not," Regina ordered her eyes blazing.

"Don't tell me what I can or can't do," it was like waving a red flag at a bull. Emma glared back just as heatedly. She stormed passed her.

"You are mine," Regina raged pushing her up against the door with a hard thud.

Emma gripped the hands pinning her and rolled slamming Regina face first into the closed door. She pressed herself flush against the other woman's back. That was four years of boxing and a life time of fighting people bigger and stronger than her. There was no way Regina could physically win against her. Emma flew backwards onto the bed with a hard landing that made the iron head board rattle. It felt like an invisible baseball bat had been slammed into her chest and knocked her off her feet. Regina turned still pressed against the door her chest heaving with anger.

"What's it to you if I take her offer! You already think I'm a whore why not use that to get what I want!" Emma yelled and was pissed to find her eyes watering. It was only because she had been hit so hard. She thrust herself up and off the bed and lashed out "I promise you this though, even if I am a whore I won't be your whore! I don't know why I thought you would be different from them!"

Regina looked at her strangely but she was too worked up to decipher it. She pushed her out of the way "I was such an idiot to hope that you wouldn't..." make her feel that way. Treat her like everyone else had. Make her think she was actually worth more.

"Emma," Regina said softly looking at her startled and amazed and scared out of her mind.

"Fuck you Regina!" Emma snapped and left before she did something stupid and humiliating like beat the shit out of her or cry.

XxXx

Dinner was tense and Emma almost didn't show but she would be damned before she would let either Regina or Maleficent think she was upset. The tension actually seemed to go over Henry's head and she was grateful for that.

"Can you really turn into a dragon?" Henry asked.

"Of course," Maleficent waved away his awe "I would show you but Regina dear that she is, has asked me not to. I'm so fearsome I scare her poor brainless servants."

"You're not very nice to servants are you," Henry gave Maleficent an assessing look.

Maleficent shrugged "why should I be? Darling we, are royalty as such, we are better than them. The powerful should not worry about the feelings of the powerless."

"If you don't worry about their feelings," Henry said slowly like he was working it out in his head "how do you respect them?"

"Respect?" Maleficent repeated amused disbelief "why ever would they need that?"

"Well," Henry said in that same slow measuring tone "if you make a deal with them, would you keep it? If you don't respect or care about their feelings then why should you keep your end of a deal?"

Maleficent sobered at that question and she looked at Henry with reserve. Her eyes flickered to Emma for a brief second before she said "I would keep my word because it's a matter of my own respect. It doesn't matter who I made a deal with, I am bound by my own pride to fulfil my end."

Henry nodded but was still frowning "that doesn't seem very strong."

"Well dear," Maleficent was back to her airy tone as she leant across the table "one thing you must always remember when making a deal with magic," she waited until Henry looked up and gave her eye contact "get it in writing or make them give you their oath."

"Huh?" Henry said with confusion.

"A magic practitioner is bound by their oath if they make a magical deal," Mr Mills chipped in for the first time "however some are crafty with their wording of verbal deals and trick even the most cleverest of minds. It is better to have a written deal or better yet," Mr Mills glared at Maleficent "not to enter into a deal at all."

"If only we could all live as decent as you Mr Mills," Maleficent saluted him with her glass mockingly.

Henry however seemed thoughtful and worse so did Regina who watched the interaction with more interest than she had showed all through dinner.

XxXx

Emma didn't bother going to Regina's parlour that night instead she went to bed early. Maleficent had given her a lot to think about the most important of which was whether or not Regina could actually be trusted. She pummelled her pillow because it was making her uncomfortable and she couldn't rest.

Regina was so infuriating. She had seemed-not nice, but at least misunderstood at the start and as time wore on she even seemed...now she was a total bitch. Emma once again cursed her lack of impulse control. She just had to screw her didn't she? She couldn't have just waited like any sane person would have done.

At the time she had completely forgotten that Regina was technically her jailer. It didn't feel like that, it hadn't felt like that then. She played in the snow with them and took care of Emma when she was sick and she had given Henry that protective vest. She had believed in Emma when no one else had before. She treated her-it was no wonder Emma had let her attraction get out of hand. That was all it was an inappropriate attraction that was once again getting her in trouble.

The thing that really pulled at her though was Regina's change. It was obvious that Maleficent coming back had turned her into a right bitch but there was this niggling voice in the back of her mind. Her superpower was acting up and she started to question herself. Had it just been Maleficent's return that caused Regina to become so different?

After all this was the woman who tried to kill her while she had been beaten and in chains. Hadn't there been times Regina looked at her and saw someone else completely? Times where she had regarded Emma like an insect to be crushed when she thought Emma was busy reading. Then there was the night that they had sex in Regina's room and the disgust in her voice that she had quickly apologised for had been very real. That all happened before Maleficent came, had that been pieces of the real Queen? Did that mean that Emma really was being manipulated like Maleficent and Henry both seemed to think?

Did Regina lie the whole time? Emma huffed and flopped onto her other side. Whatever she had ate at dinner didn't agree with her because her stomach was twisting sickeningly. Even if she was being manipulated it didn't matter. She wasn't an idiot and she was used to being treated like a fool. Thinking Regina saw her differently was a mistake that she wouldn't make again. She would use them both to keep Henry and her safe and if they could no longer do that then they would escape and find some other way.

Emma was good at escaping, after all that was just a different word for running away.

"EMMA!"

Emma jerked away startled to find that she had been in a deep sleep. She was already stumbling out of bed unaware of what was going on.

"Emma! It's Henry!"

There was a flash of green and Emma's eyes were drawn to the only light in the room coming off the mirror. The face in the mirror had its usual green pallor and pointy features but they seemed worried. Her slow brain finally registered what he said with alarm. "Henry? What about him?"

"He's sleep walking through the castle," the mirror said agitatedly "he's keeping to the shadows and avoiding the guards but Emma he isn't awake. I don't think he's in control."

"What? How could that happen?" Emma snapped shoving her feet in to her boots and grabbing her long coat and pulling it on over her tank top and panties. She yanked open the door confident that the mirror would keep up with her. She ran to Henry's room and opened the door, sure enough his messy bed was empty.

"I told you!" The mirror snapped flaring with irritation in Henry's mirror.

"Sorry if I don't take your word for it," Emma snapped back "everyone seems intent on lying to me lately. Now where the hell is Henry, can you take me to him?"

"Follow me," The mirror said and before Emma could even wonder how the hell she was supposed to do that green light flared down the corridor. She took off after it uncaring that her coat wasn't buttoned leaving her half naked.

The green light flashed further down the corridor in the reflections of shields, brass door knobs and torch holders, anything that could cast a reflection in order to direct her. It seemed to be leading her deeper into the main castle but then started upwards. Her breathing was coming in sharp pants as she wouldn't stop running, guards called to her but she outright ignored them. She couldn't waste the time or breath. Her Henry was in trouble and she had promised to protect him.

She was suddenly floored as a metal arm came out of nowhere and smacked her in the chest. "I'm sorry Ms but this area is off limits to you," the guard said as two more of his fellows came to stand beside him.

"Get the fuck out of my way," Emma growled pushing to her feet.

"You pushed my friend out of a tower window bitch," a guard with a blonde goatee said standing behind the guard that hit her. "Go ahead and make trouble, even the Queen won't punish us for doing our job."

"Henry might be in danger," Emma growled trying to push passed them. She was roughly shoved back. She didn't have time for this!

The first guard frowned "if the kids in trouble we don't want a repeat of the courtyard. Timothy, go check further up the tower and see if you can find him."

Timothy was the one with the goatee and he scowled and lent into a nearby open door and another guard appeared. They went to investigate and Emma went to go with them but was once again pushed back.

"No, Ms, leave it to the guards," the first one said looking stern. The stupid hedgehog helmets that Regina made them wear made it hard to pick out identifying features but Emma swore she was going to find him after this and kick his ass. "You're still not supposed to be here. John, take her back to her room."

"Emma, Henry is on the roof!" the guards armour flared bright green suddenly as the face in the mirror appeared both worried and furious. The guard yelled and started to beat his armour in surprise thinking he was on fire.

That was enough for Emma. She punched John in the face driving his nose guard into his nose breaking both it and her knuckle. She kicked him and shoved him aside managing to elbow the other guard in the face. Unfortunately neither Timothy nor the other guard he had called had gone far and suddenly Emma was being pummelled by five guards.

She had to get to Henry! Her blood pounded furiously in her ears and she barely felt it when her head rocked to the side as her lip was split by a chain mailed fist. Someone was suddenly on her back and she was bowled over and forced to her knees. One of the bastards took his chance and kneed her in the face catching her squarely on the right cheek.

Then it was over.

The guards were suddenly thrown in the air like rag dolls. "Regina," Emma breathed relieved but when she looked up it was Maleficent standing there both arms outstretched pinning the five men to the wall.

"I'm all for a gang bang dears but the lady has to be willing," she glared at the guards furiously.

Emma shoved herself to her feet and staggered off balance. Blood got in her eye and she wiped it away furiously before pushing off the wall and passed Maleficent. "Henry's in trouble," she explained taking off running.

"She's not allowed up there!" one the guards called.

"That's enough out of all of you," Maleficent said and the clatter of metal being slammed against each other could be heard "my permission is all she needs."

The mirror was flashing warningly "through that door! He's on the roof!"

Emma didn't even slow as she burst through the door and nearly fell as it went straight out into a sheet of fast falling rain and onto a sloping tiled roof. It was a servants door used for when the roof needed retiled before winter. Within seconds Emma was soaked her hair sticking to her head. The roof she was on was long and about four stories high, it was one of the smaller ones in the castle and below them were either the kitchen or servant quarters. The rain was like a thick grey curtail over everything and lashed so hard against the roof that it splashed upwards like a triumphant dancer making everything almost look like it had a white glowing outline.

"Henry!" She called spotting him further along the roof far too close to the edge for her liking. He was soaked through in his pyjamas and his hair lay limply downwards. He seemed to be dancing surefooted unheeding of the slopping wet roof and the danger. She furiously made her way along the roof slipping and scrambling barely managing to hang on.

Distantly through the splashing rain she could make out a faint outline just ahead of Henry. It was all but invisible except for the rain that pounded off it giving it a shape that would have otherwise been invisible. The figure was just about Henry's size and was dancing backwards merrily in front of Henry. She couldn't make out any features but it seemed to be playing a musical instrument that she couldn't hear. "Henry!" She called again her voice being stolen by the pounding of the rain.

Henry reached the end of the roof and the figure continued to walk along the air. For one heart stopping moment Emma thought Henry would continue walking and she let out a scream. It didn't even form words. It was just a sharp sound of warning as she threw herself forward her feet barely having time to slip before they were moving again.

But Henry didn't continue walking instead he squatted as if preparing to jump. Across from him was the lowest part of the castle wall and the figure danced there on top of the wall encouraging him to follow still playing his instrument. It cast an eerie white glow the only light coming from nature and the spluttering torches in the windows. Henry leapt arms outstretched.

Emma's foot slipped sending lose tiles skittering across the roofs edge to crash below. Her eyes widened and her whole body lurched forward unheeding of the danger. She desperately reached for Henry. She had to catch him. It was her job to keep him safe. She promised he could stay with her. She wanted him to stay. He was her son. It was her job to catch hi-.

"oof!" Emma cried out as she wrapped her arms around Henry's waist and crashed back down onto the rood sending tiles skidding. They slid downwards half dangling off the roofs end and rushing to meet its edge. She had no purchase and the rain made everything to slippery to grab onto but Henry was in her arms. She clutched him to her chest her entire body curling around him. If they hit the ground she hoped to God that she would at least cushion his fall.

She felt the lips of the gutter cut quickly into her back as her shoulders fell over the roof. She was falling head first when she was stopped with a jerk. She looked up to see the ghostly music player with one hand wrapped around Henry's foot and the other raised up. The rain fell fast and heavy now and painted its face. It cut in and filled out features of a scowling angry face that looked murderous. The thing was holding the outline of a pipe and had it raised up. He was going to hit her with it. She was going to fall and it was going to take Henry away.

Her whole body wanted to lash out and kick it but if she did then she would fall. Henry would fall with her. Could she take Henry down with her? If she let him go then the thing would take him away to do god knows what with him but if she didn't then Henry would definitely die. Could she kill him? Would she be saving him from some other worse fate?

The ghostly figure brought down his pipe but Emma was already letting go. Dead was dead, if Henry lived he could change whatever fate the thing had in store for him. Nothing changed when you were dead. She felt herself begin to fall, so many bad things had happened to her and she had kept going. She hoped Henry would be strong enough to do the same because in the end she just wasn't selfish enough to kill him.

Her job was to save him. Even if that meant she couldn't save herself.

The ghostly musician exploded sending raindrops everywhere but they didn't fall. Instead they were gently pulled back onto the roof. Emma looked up to see Maleficent standing boldly with a foot on either side of the roof. Her pink nightdress was soaked and the purple ruffles sagged as they were weighed down with rain. Even her normal blond curls were dragged down by the water but her face was stone and her head was tilted defiantly into the rain.

Emma cradled Henry still fast asleep in her arms and felt all the fear that she had ignored these past few months break free. Against powerful witches, invisible music players, spiteful guard captains and whatever else this world threw at her, she might not be enough. She might not be able to save herself let alone Henry.

"Emma?" Henry said drowsily reaching for her in the dark.

Maleficent smiled down at her as Henry's small hand clutched at her soaked coat. She felt like she was still falling.


	12. Chapter 12

XxXx

"Is Henry ok?" Regina seemed to charge down the hallway as Emma came out of Henry's room. "My guards just informed me, what happened?"

"Something tried to take Henry away," Emma said closing his door. She had dried the exhausted boy and refused to answer any of his slurred questions since she didn't know the full story herself. After she had changed him and put him back to bed where he immediately fell asleep she went outside to find both Maleficent and now Regina waiting for her. "What the hell was it? It was invisible, could it have been Azzeazal?"

"It was a pied piper," Maleficent said as she leant against the wall. She had taken the time to change and dry off. Now she wore one of her simpler purple dress with no ruffles or ribbons and her curls had regained their former bounce. "Azzeazal, as in the guard captain? Why would he be involved?"

"I banished him after he masterminded a plot to kill Henry," Regina snapped quickly "how could a Pied Piper get inside my walls?"

Maleficent frowned "it was the pied piper spell not the thing itself. That means magic."

"Which should also be impossible since-" Regina's eyes widened and then narrowed viciously on Maleficent "you!" She hissed.

"Don't be absurd," Maleficent glared back "I have no interest in children. I don't even know that spell. Maybe it was the blind witch in your woods."

"I find it highly convenient that when I lower my wards for you to entertain Henry suddenly a pied piper is summoned," Regina drew herself up looking murderous.

"True, that might have been my fault," Maleficent tilted her head "it might have got through the gap you created on my request. That is why I sealed it myself this past hour. I however had nothing to do with its creation. Has Henry been having nightmares?"

Emma was busier glaring at both of them that it was a bit jarring to have their attention shift to her quickly. She nodded "he said he could hear someone calling to him."

Maleficent looked vindicated "there you go Regina darling, it isn't the first time someone has tried to contact the little fellow."

"What do you mean?" Emma snapped placing herself in front of Henry's door as if to physically stop it from happening again.

"Regina's wards are top of the line, no one can even teleport here without finding themselves in a million pieces, but even Regina can't guard against dreams. Someone has been calling to him and not very well, probably due to Regina's wards it hasn't done much more than give him nightmares. That is until she lowered the ward so I could show Henry those animals, I'm afraid that I gave them the opportunity to try and smuggle Henry away," Maleficent frowned.

"What would have happened if..." Emma trailed off unable to finish.

"Pied pipers lead children they do not hurt them," Regina seemed to want to reassure her.

Maleficent on the other hand smirked at her "oh, yes that's certainly true. It doesn't stop the fact that they're mostly used by witches who eat children or magical paedophiles."

Both Regina and Emma snapped around to glare at her and Emma over rot with the entire night and realisation that she might actually be helpless, had no self control left. She was going to kill her.

"Hey, I'm sure that's not the case here," Maleficent put her hands up defensively "it was probably Snow rescuing her grandson or something. Emma is too old to hear the piper but it stands to reason that a mother would come after her child."

"Impossible," Regina snapped "Snow is unaware of either Henry's existence or Emma's return to this world."

"Really?" Maleficent laughed at her "Regina darling, your insistence on human company and your refusal to rip out all of their hearts means that your guards and servants can be easily bought. They would probably even sell your underwear preference for the right amount of coppers," Maleficent's eyes danced as she looked smugly at Regina "you have spies in her house why should yours be different? You must have noticed that her army is on the move."

Regina's eyes darted to Emma's who was reeling with this new information. "She still doesn't know," Regina said with such confidence that Emma had to turn to look at her "if your mother thought for one second you were actually here no force on this planet could stop her from jumping on one of her little birds and trying to single handily storm down my gate."

"Maybe she decided to play it smart," Emma said.

"Oh, please," Regina rolled her eyes offended at the very suggestion "you two are both related. Your rash idiocy is not an original trait."

"Don't push me after the night I had," Emma warned her jaw clenching.

"What would you do if it were Henry?" Regina said giving her a level stare willing her to think about it "if he was all alone, captured by an enemy that you think could only wish him harm, do you think you would wait the months it would take your army to get to him?"

Emma's face twitched as she managed to speak through gritted teeth "no."

"And would you leave him for a moment longer than you had to? Would the fact that he is surrounded by an enchanted forest, an army, a magical castle and an evil witch even slow you down?" Regina asked again knowing the answer.

"No!" Emma snapped hating the fact that Regina was right.

"She does not know they are here," Regina said flatly to Maleficent her point made.

"Well, it doesn't change the fact that someone knows about him," Maleficent pointed out "if you brought him into the woods then it is possible the blind witch sensed him."

Henry had been in the woods, Emma thought, he was there when they both came through and when they escaped and again when the wolf attacked him.

"Or it could still be your fault," Regina glared "part of your plan to win Emma over. You are the only other person to know about them."

"Really Regina, choosing your bed warmer over your best friend is getting a little annoying," Maleficent said and there was genuine anger simmering in her tone "I had nothing to do with the casting of that spell."

That was the truth, Emma sensed it. She was uneasy with both of them and didn't trust either of them anymore.

"Maleficent I have known you most of my life and I know you better than my own mother," Regina said with sharp eyes that cut into Maleficent's angry ones "I know exactly what you are capable off. Make no mistake, as dear to my heart as your friendship is, there will never be a reason for me to stand by while you threaten a child."

Maleficent gave a short scornful laugh and moved like a snake around Regina "pretty words. But do remember my dearest friend, I know you just as well. I know the secrets you're hiding, the half truths you're playing and I know that you've never been satisfied. You're far too hungry and selfish but go ahead, pretend to champion the boy and his mother but I know you. You are not a champion," Maleficent smiled at Emma softly "goodnight dear, give Henry my best."

She then walked off leaving Regina and Emma alone for the first time.

"My Mirror did not alert me," Regina said softly "when Henry was in danger he instead chose to tell you rather than his Mistress."

Emma shrugged "I was probably closer."

"I gave you a promise that I would keep him safe," Regina frowned "the Mirror should have come to me but instead he chose to wake you. Do you not understand? How could you when I don't even understand it myself...? My creation, chose you, it should not have been able to do that."

Emma still didn't really understand "maybe it just likes me better?" she shrugged moving towards her room. She was still in her damp clothes from the roof. Henry had been her priority not herself.

Regina just studied her with and unreadable look "Emma..." she said seeming at a loss for what to say. She drew herself up her face tight and ridged but her eyes were open and soft drawing Emma into their deepness. Was this too a lie?

Emma turned away, she just couldn't keep up "maybe I am as stupid as you say because..." she just wanted to-Regina was too much for her.

"Emma," Regina drew in closer trying to turn her back but when she didn't move she just kissed her neck and rested there casting an unbearable heat on Emma's back that was willing her to turn around.

"Make up your Goddamn mind Regina," Emma said harshly opening her door and stepping away from the other woman "what the hell am I too you?" She slammed the door in her face not willing to wait for a response.

She sat on her bed taking deep breaths when the mirror flared and distracted her. The face hovered in the green fire its pointy face watching her through small narrowed eyes. She just looked up at it tiredly. "Thank you," she said at last grabbing dry clothes from her dresser.

"It's my job to see things," the mirror bobbed in what Emma recognised as its version of a shrug.

Emma just looked at it blatantly calling it out on its bullshit. The mirror looked away unwilling to admit to anything. Emma just sighed and started to change uncaring if he was actually watching her. "So, you seem fond of me," Emma said and didn't let him protest like it seemed about to "I'm not sure if I should be flattered or not."

The mirror looked like it was about to say something sharp and spiteful like usual but then it stopped and looked thoughtful. "I am merely the reflection of my creator," it said but looked unusually upset "but," and he looked at her seeming to see everything "if you were to ask, I would show you anything, I do not know why. You do not fit here, in all those stories that you have read in my Mistresses parlour, have you read of anyone like you?"

"And what am I?" she laughed at the mirror. It might have sounded a bit bitter but she was tired. "Because right now all I feel like is the chew toy being tugged between two big dogs. A wet chew toy," she said flinging her dump clothes against the wall with frustration. "I'm nothing special."

"Different," the mirror snapped "I did not say special, I've seen everything this world has and is offering but I've never seen anything like you or your son. Maybe that's why I watch you both most of all."

"That's still creepy," Emma said drying to last of her hair "so what's your name?"

"Mirror," he answered back with a raised eyebrow "do you name your furniture?"

"Mine doesn't have a face or a mouth that insults me," Emma pointed out.

"I was never given a name," The Mirror said slowly.

"Well none of us get to choose our name," Emma said grabbing her pillow. She was going to sleep in Henry's room just to make sure. "How about I call you Seymour?"

"'See more'" the mirror repeated with a scoff "cute."

"Goodnight Seymour," Emma said closing her eyes on his thoughtful looking face.

XxXx

When Henry awoke she told him the whole story before they went to breakfast. He didn't seem to remember a thing which she was kind of glad about. He also acted like nothing had happened and shrugged off everyone's concern.

"So Henry," Maleficent grinned at him across the table "since I'm not allowed to summon anything for you after your adventure last night how about we spend time in the stables with my unicorns?"

"That sounds great," Henry tried to hide his excitement knowing he was still supposed to be judging both witches.

"After your lessons," Mr Mills cut in with a frown.

"And we're going to have to talk about that ward you put up," Regina spoke to Maleficent "I don't like the idea of you control any of my castles protections."

Maleficent waved away her concern "Regina dear, it's almost as if you don't trust me. Now what say you Ms Swan? After Henry's lessons we all go feed my unicorns?"

"Fine," Emma agreed unwilling to let Henry out of her sight. She might even follow him to his lessons.

Mr Mills talked her out of disrupting Henry's lessons but she was there waiting for him when he got released. They walked the short distance to the stables in silence. Maleficent was already there standing next to a basket of carrots that she showed Henry how to feed to the unicorns without getting his fingers nipped.

Henry's usual suspicious was swept away in the face of the unicorns and he and Maleficent looked like the best of buddies. Emma honestly didn't understand his fascination with animals. She didn't like them, to unpredictable and messy. She especially didn't get why Henry loved the unicorns so much, they were motley and shabby with the horn on top of their head looking like it had been stuck there with glue.

"You don't seem at all impressed," Maleficent said sliding up to her. Henry was petting a white horse with an almost dazed grin.

"Not a big animal fan," she shrugged. She wasn't willing to insult what seemed to be Maleficent's prized possession.

"I love unicorns, you see, everyone perceives them differently. If you're a virgin they seem them as stunning creatures and you can't take their eyes off them, now if you're not they seem just pretty and majestic animals. The more sex one has, the more debased and fun one gets, the less magnificent they are," Maleficent smirked at her "Unicorns are attracted to purity and as such do everything they can to attract purity in return. They love children especially. The non-abused ones anyway."

"Then why do you like them so much?" Emma asked suddenly curious. Maleficent was far from pure.

"They're a great way to measure innocence," Maleficent grinned "I once was riding passed this little hamlet when a young man about twenty two jumped in front of my carriage. He was so mesmerised by the unicorns he had chased us for two miles. Right away I knew this boy to be an ultra virgin. So pure I wondered if he had even heard of sex. I had to have him. I pulled over immediately and seduced the pants off him. Lets just say that after he left my company, and that of the few pretty guards I had with me, he saw them as ugly beasts of burden."

Emma just looked at her dumbfounded. Honestly how was she supposed to reply to that?

Maleficent shrugged "judge me all you like Ms Swan but the fact that you aren't at all impressed by them leads me to assume that judging me would name you a hypocrite."

"God," Emma snorted "you must just see skeletons or something."

Maleficent just gave her a secret smile "you know, Regina once told me that they were the ugliest things she had ever seen."

Emma just looked at her but Maleficent smirked and walked back towards Henry.

XxXx

"Ah, Henry," The Queen turned from the mirror when he entered her parlour. He looked back at Mr Mills that smiled at him reassuringly before he left, the big traitor. "I am sorry to make you late for your lessons but I have to talk to you about something."

He looked at her suspiciously. The Queen was trying to be nice, it wasn't working well for her. She sat in her chair by the fire and waved for him to sit opposite. He went to stand by the chair but didn't sit.

"I believe you are smart. Your tutors have told me as much but I believe unlike your mother you are capable of listening to logic," the Queen ignored him not sitting.

"Emma's smart," he frowned at her.

"Yes," The Queen nodded "but she is also rash. She trusts your judgement above all others and that is why I summoned you here." She shifted her dark cape about herself before locking eyes with him "Maleficent is bad news. I know you blame me for a great many things but I am not the most pressing danger in your life right now. Maleficent wants your mother and I want to keep her away from you mother. To do this I will need your help."

"You want her for yourself," Henry said because he wasn't stupid. The Queen looked surprised but didn't hesitate to answer him "I want you both."

"That's creepy," Henry drew back. He had heard about adults like her at the home. Usually they were talking about creepy old men but she was the Evil Queen.

The Queen smiled and burst into laughter. She looked more like the woman that had given him his mythril shirt and played in the snow with them. It made him relax slightly.

"You looked just like your mother there," she said affectionately before smoothing out her face. Lingering traces of laughter were in her eyes though so Henry didn't back away. "Henry, keeping you both here would be fantastic however," and then she looked sad "I'm starting to realise that only I would be happy with that."

"And that's a problem?" Henry raised his eyebrow.

"Normally no," and she was being honest, he could sense it "regardless, I'm the better choice, especially for you. Maleficent is devious and would make a deal to let your mother go but keep you forcing her to stay. Or she would find another way to trick her. As much as you don't trust me, you can at least trust that I will not mistreat you both."

"Can I?" Henry accused.

"I want nothing more than to keep you safe," The Queen said fiercely. Henry looked at her that was the complete truth at least.

"But you still won't let us go?" He asked waiting intently for the answer.

The Queen hesitated "there should be a way to get you both home."

That was the truth but he wasn't sure if it was an answer. "Maleficent promised us something more real than that."

The Queen seemed frustrated but pushed it away "she has no intention of giving you anything, make up your own mind. Hear for yourself, she should be joining me shortly. Hide in the bathroom and hear her answer for yourself."

Henry let her lead him to a bathroom that was bigger than his bedroom. She left the door open a crack so he could hear what was going on in the other room. He looked about the room and there was even a swimming pool! Mr Mills had servants wash him in a wooden tub by the fire. This was totally unfair. The room didn't have any taps and the swimming pool was empty but looked to go over his head. He picked up one of the metal containers and sniffed the soap.

"Darling!"

His head whipped around to the door as he heard Maleficent's voice. Like a mouse he crept towards the partially opened door. He saw Maleficent standing in front of the fire, the Queen was sitting down.

"You have a lot of nerve summoning me here after yesterday," Maleficent's voice always seemed happy to Henry but sometimes it made the hairs on the back of his neck raise up and he didn't understand why.

"Dear, you can't still be upset about that?" The Queen's voice was never warm like Maleficent's but it was practically ice now.

"Oh darling you know very well that I can hold a grudge," Maleficent lent on the back of the chair but didn't sit. "The fact that you have not only doubted me but actually magically attacked me over something like Ms Swan is interesting and highly insulting."

"Insulting?"

"Darling, she may be Snows daughter but she didn't get her looks. She's interesting that's for certain and with that attitude I can't tell if she's confident due to ignorance or foolishly rash. Either way I understand why you would want to tame her in your bed. What I don't understand is that you would risk our friendship over her. Is she really worth that much to you?" Maleficent said.

"Ms Swan is-" the Queen looked away and Henry wondered why she didn't just lie. Instead she recovered and glared back at Maleficent "much more than we give her credit for. Besides this isn't the first time we've had a little tussle. You do remember when I took that spell from you?"

"You called me your only friend," Maleficent nodded.

"That was a much worse that the fights we've had recently. I tried to kill your pet back then," the Queen laughed and Maleficent finally settled in the chair.

"Yes but you did that because you wanted revenge against Snow. I understood that, as dear as our friendship is nothing can stand between you and your pain. I would be the same. Lately however, you've been attacking me over something so little. Unless you really do have a wicked devious plan to get back at Snow using Ms Swan," Maleficent's smile wasn't very nice.

"Why do you want her so badly?" The Queen asked ignoring the question "you have done nothing but try and steal her away from me since you got here. Jealous, dear?"

Maleficent laughed and gave a shark like smile showing all her teeth "oh darling, neither you nor Ms Swan possess anything for me to covet. I want her simply for my menagerie, you know I like collecting interesting animals, after I break her in of course. First I have to have some fun. I can't wait to see both yours and Snows face as I parade her naked save for her leash. It really is a pity Aurora hasn't had any children but Ms Swan will do as a substitute. Besides I know it will kill you that she chose me over you, you never did like being second best," Maleficent gave a nasty laugh that made Henry's fist curl angrily.

"And the boy?"

"What about him? You can keep him or I'll use him to train his mother," Maleficent shrugged "I could keep him till he grows older I suppose. Maybe he'll get his grandmothers looks?"

The soap dish flew out of Henry's tight grip and clattered against the floor. He looked around frantically and found a door at the other end of the room. He took off at a run but the door behind him was already bursting open and he could hear Maleficent calling his name. He didn't slow down or answer back.

XxXx

a/n I hope it's okay with you all that I just disregarded Sydney's entire story. Let's just go with Seymour as an original creation but I hated the Sydney story. No power on this earth can convince me that Sydney is straight, I'm willing to believe he would switch teams for Regina (who wouldn't?) but I'm really attached to the idea that he's Regina's gay bff who sips appletini's and judges her bad taste in partners.

Also Sydney Glass as a name? How uncreative he should have been named 'Luke Anglais'(Looking Glass) or Seymour or even Rorri m. Law (wall mirror backwards). At least they named Cinderella 'Ash'ley.

The next chapter contains a scene that is responsible for this entire fic. That image came to me and the story built itself around it so I can't wait to share it with you all. And you guys surely noticed that the POV changed for the first time which is slightly sloppy but it was the only way I could get Henry to shift his bias. There will be a bit from Regina's POV later which should help understand her motivations but I can't do it earlier like some of you asked because it would give to much away.

Thanks again for all your support and sorry for the long ramble!


	13. Chapter 13

"Do you know dear, that I can turn into a crow as well as a dragon," Maleficent spoke to a subdued Henry across the dinner table "I could show you if you like."

"No thank you," Henry didn't look up from pushing his peas around his plate.

That made Emma look up from her dinner. She frowned as it didn't seem like Henry to turn down the chance to see someone transform into an animal. "You okay kid?"

Henry looked piercingly at Maleficent before turning towards her and nodding firmly "I'm fine," he said in a tone that didn't invite questions.

He looked so imperious and like a tiny Mr Mills that Emma let it drop. The real Mr Mills was busy ignoring Maleficent in the most upper class way. He couldn't outright refuse to feed her but he always made sure that she ended up with the smaller cuts of meat and the less desirable wine along with the seat furthest from the fire.

"You said that the stars are different here," Henry said turning towards Mr Mills who immediately abandoned his conversation with Regina to answer him.

"Yes, we have an observatory here in the castle. Its been a terrible long time since anyone has used it, not since Regina stopped studying magic I should think and that was a while ago," Mr Mills said thoughtfully.

"Not that long ago," Regina put in but was soundly ignored.

Regina rolled her eyes in annoyance and Emma smirked at her plate. _Daddy's got a new favourite, _she thought darkly.

"Can I see them?" Henry to everyone's surprise was looking straight at Regina.

"I'll have the servants clean it after dinner," Regina nodded without pause.

"You'll be there right?" Henry said intently.

That made Regina pause and with a quick glance at Emma she agreed hesitantly "if that is what you want."

"Okay," Henry nodded and then went back to not eating his peas.

Emma it turned out wasn't invited to look at the stars. Not that she had a big interest but when Henry left her room accompanied by Regina and an ecstatic Mr Mills she hadn't been invited. In fact Henry went out of his way to say good night to show how uninvited she was. She clenched her fist as she watched Henry walk away from her. With Regina of all people. Her stomach clenched nauseously. She felt powerless to stop them.

XxXx

"You going to wait for me after every class?" Henry asked her with a smirk the next day.

"If you're real lucky I might even carry your books for you," Emma smirked right back ruffling Henry's hair affectionately. The truth was she just wanted to be near him.

Henry laughed and effortlessly fell into step beside her. "Where's Mr Mills?" Emma asked curiously.

"I don't know," Henry shrugged and avoided her eyes.

Emma looked at him abruptly. He just lied to her. That was odd, what did a grownup do in a situation were a kid lied to them? "Yes you do, don't lie to me, I have a super power."

"You sound more like a kid than I do sometimes," Henry said honestly exasperated.

"Do not!" Emma said quickly then paused. She really hated it when Henry turned out to be right.

"Come on," Henry said leading her away.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked frowning.

"You'll see," Henry said with a secret smile.

Emma laughed and indulged him. She paused when he led her down a corridor that was just passed Regina's library. Was she actually hearing music? "Henry?" she called but he just ran on opening the door for her.

Mr Mills was playing the piano, it was something slow and classical that reminded Emma of the old black and white films. Regina stood in the middle of the small music room with her hand outstretched. The music room was bright and had double glass doors that led out into a small garden covered in fresh snow. Instruments were hung around the room all looking well cared for and the floor was a polished wood perfect for dancing.

Henry waved Emma inside and then closed the door. He crossed to Regina and took her hand and Regina smiled and started to show him the beginnings of what Emma would later find out was a waltz.

"May I have the honour?" Mr Mills said and Emma looked behind him to find a servant she had never seen before playing the piano now while two others cued up a violin and a cello.

"I can't dance formally," Emma said hesitating.

"We all hard to start somewhere," Mr Mills said encouragingly.

Emma bit her lip but Mr Mills looked so happy that she didn't want to disappoint him even though this was an obvious manipulation. She nodded and did her best not to step on his toes. Mr Mills laughed and led her patiently through the steps until she was managing to follow his lead without too much embarrassment.

"You would look magnificent in a ball gown," Mr Mills complimented her without a hint of sleaze or mocking "every inch a princess."

His sincere tone made Emma blush. She had forgotten how nice it was to be complimented without any hidden motivation and no one had ever said something as nice as that to her.

"You've seemed troubled the last few days," Mr Mills spoke quietly.

Emma frowned and looked away. The only person she trusted aside from Henry would be Mr Mills but he was Regina's father. "I guess I'm more uncertain about the future now," Emma said at last. She wouldn't elaborate further.

Mr Mills nodded "it is an uncertain entity for sure. I would not worry too much though, it will come whether or not we are ready for it."

"What if we're not ready? What happens to us then? What if we're not strong enough to face it?" Emma said her fears bleeding into her words against her wishes.

"It will still come," Mr Mills said and he wasn't trying to be reassuring or manipulating which was refreshing "take it from a man who has much less days to look forward to than yourself, one is almost never ready for the future until it arrives, then it is just a matter of living with the present."

"You should write fortune cookies," Emma scoffed lightly her words more bitter than she intended.

Mr Mills laughed "I do perhaps read too many philosopher's for my own good. Wise men make wise sayings and only fools repeat them," he patted her arm comfortingly almost making her loose her rhythm "no matter the future, I will always look to you and Henry's best interest."

"May I cut in," Henry intoned trying to seem solemn and dignified. Emma grinned at his falsely deep voice and his puffed up figure. She did her best bow in return. Henry rolled his eyes and Mr Mills coughed to hide his laughter "you're the girl, you're supposed to curtsey," Henry sighed at her shaking his head.

"We shall work on etiquette at a later date," Mr Mills smiled stepping back and offering Emma's hand to Henry "young master," he performed a perfect bow which was just showing off in Emma's opinion. He paused with a light touch on Emma's arm and leaned in to murmur softly "I believe you to be the strongest person I have ever known, you of all people should not fear the morrow." He squeezed her arm lightly before stepping away.

Henry took over but her only just about reached Emma's chest. She took a deep breath as Mr Mills words circled her mind. She gave Henry a small smile and was half tempted to pick him up and dance that way but he was trying so hard to be a gentleman that she didn't want to spoil it for him.

"If we stay here, we could go to balls every night," Henry tried to bribe her.

"Kid there's no way you would choose this over real clubbing," Emma laughed forgetting everything for a moment.

"Just wait until I'm big enough to dip you," Henry said confidently. Confidence looked good on him.

Mr Mills and Regina started their own dance looking much more graceful than either Henry or her. Regina looked relaxed and happy as she glided around in her father's arms. She wasn't wearing a big ball gown but it was easy to imagine her in one. Mr Mills seemed happy in a quiet and content way. She imagined that they mustn't do this very often. He must be enjoying the time with his daughter. She thinks she might know the feeling.

"We can't trust Maleficent," Henry said softly.

Emma's attention jerked back to him and she narrowed her eyes "why've you changed your tune so suddenly?"

"She's bad news," Henry's little face was folded in condemnation.

"You think Regina is a better option?" Emma asked surprised.

Henry shrugged "we know what we're getting with her but I still think we should bust out on our own."

"Better the devil you know," Emma muttered glancing away.

"I mean," Henry took a deep breath and looked slightly pained at the admission "she hasn't done anything bad to us or even while we've been here. Maybe you were right in the beginning. Maybe she's not that bad..."

Emma give him a weak smile "maybe," but now she was the one having doubts.

"I'll give her a chance," Henry smiled at her making her insides twist a little though she had no idea why. "But really I think we should try it ourselves. I know you don't think so but I believe in you, you could totally slay a dragon," and he looked at her so open and earnest. There wasn't even a hint of a lie in his words.

It made Emma's stomach twist and knot and she couldn't stop the nausea appearing on her face for a brief second. How could she slay a dragon when she couldn't even protect him from an invisible dancer? What could she actually do if Regina or Maleficent decided they were through playing games? The other night proved to her that she couldn't protect Henry, that she was weak, useless-

"-Emma?" Henry stopped dancing looking concerned and slightly freaked out.

"Sorry," Emma said weakly stepping back. She pressed a hand to her stomach "I haven't eaten lunch yet and all this twirling..." she trailed off and gave him a smile. She hoped it looked better than it felt. The music then stopped before striking up a faster tempo.

"I'm afraid that is a young persons dance," Mr Mills smiled stepping back and sitting on one of the benches against the wall. Henry looked a little perturbed before the little traitor shot her a grin and quickly joined Mr Mills.

Regina stood in the middle of the dance floor her chin tilted upwards before she reached out her hand to Emma. It wavered slightly the only sign of her hesitance.

Emma struggled with herself fiercely but Regina looked so achingly human and Henry and Mr Mills seemed so encouraging that she didn't have the heart to walk away. She took the hand fighting down her nausea and let Regina pull her in.

"It will be much easier if I lead," Regina said slipping her arm around Emma's waist "I'll go slowly so you can follow."

"Already started with the insults," Emma said but let Regina arrange them. Regina ignored her comment and concentrated on leading Emma. After a few minutes Emma caught on enough that she wasn't so dependent on Regina's directions. "You had this planned out nicely didn't you?"

"It was Henry's idea," Regina said "he said you missed dancing."

"Music is much different in my world," Emma said.

"I assumed so," Regina said turning them quickly. The suddenly movement brought Emma deeper into her arms as she had to cling for balance. It also caused Emma to finally look at her "I just wanted to show you a little of my world," Regina said softly.

Emma swallowed the lump in her throat. "Why?"

Regina looked so frustrated for a moment that Emma thought she was actually going to stomp her foot like a child. "I don't know..." she said sounding torn. "I wanted you to see that at least some of it can be..." and she left her sentence unfinished she looked like she was unable to find the words.

The door opened as the music stopped and a servant stood there with a silver platter as more servants moved to bring in a dining table and chairs. With a grand flourish the servant lifted off the lid and Emma stared stunned.

It was a cheese burger and fries.

Or what passed for a cheese burger and fries in this world. Obviously it was homemade meat patties and the bun looked more like something out of a bakery rather than a normal burger bap. The fries were just really think cut potatoes that had been roasted and not deep fried. It was an amateur attempt that Emma only had to look at Henry's proud beaming face to know he was behind the idea. She had said to him so long ago that that was one of the things she missed about their world.

"I hope this little bit of your world would-Emma!" Regina started to say something but Emma ran straight passed her. She headed for the double doors and stumbled out into the fresh snow ruining the smooth surface.

"Emma?" Regina called after her but she couldn't take it anymore. She looked for an escape but there didn't seem to be a way out of this shitty little garden covered in snow and high walls. "Emma..."

"What?" Emma snapped whirling around kicking up snow as she turned. "What the hell do you want from me?"

Behind Regina she saw Mr Mills close the doors and usher all the servants out of the music room. Henry looked on worried but followed Mr Mills reluctant prodding. "What the hell is your plan Regina," Emma raged finally asking the question that had haunted her. "Do you even know what you want with me anymore? Because I sure as hell don't!"

"I've told you-" Regina started to lie and Emma just cut her off.

"Bullshit!" She roared "first of all you tell me I'm your prisoner and that you'll send me away. Then we start to fuck and you suddenly have a great affection for me and then I'm a whore and when Maleficent shows up I'm just invisible unless I'm a prize to be won!"

"You are the one that escalated things physically," Regina snapped back "and it was you Ms Swan that seemed to abandon all faith in me when Maleficent started to whisper in your ear!"

"Are you going to let us go?" Emma snapped.

"I told you that I will find a way to send you home," Regina said in the same careful tone.

"That's not an answer!" Emma raged "yes or no Regina, will you let us go?"

"As I've already said-" Regina started.

"Yes or no?" Emma broke in.

Regina's face twitched and flared with anger but she stayed silent. That was more than enough of an answer for Emma. She turned away.

"I want you to be happy," Regina said frustrated seeming to leave even more unspoken.

Emma's body shook with slow building laughter. It was too much, stress was making her hysterical "I never thought of you as an evil queen," she said seemingly out of the blue "I didn't even think you were manipulating me but that's just who I am. I take people at their word. I'm a trusting fool and shame on me because I've been fooled more than twice. You said you just want me to be happy." She turned shivering with the cold.

"Yes," Regina said shortly her face a closed mask. Emma could sense it was a half truth.

She gave a smirk "when you cast that curse on my as a baby, you knew that it would make my life suck. You knew that it would take away any chance of happiness for me, right?"

"I did not know you then," Regina argued she seemed to be reeling from topic changes "I was blinded by my desire for vengeance. I knew that you would grow up in a world with no happy ever after, it was a painful concept for someone like Snow to contemplate."

"And now?" Emma said staring at Regina intently taking in her entire reaction "now that you know me. Now that I'm telling you that I suffered so much that I have more scars than you can even imagine. Now that you supposedly have some sort of affection for me. Would you cast that spell again? If it meant that you could get what you desired most, Snow White in unimaginable pain, would you put me through that again, would you put Henry through that?"

Regina tilted her chin up and looked Emma straight in the eye "No, of course not," and lied to her face.

Emma swore she had just been hit by another werewolf. She swallowed harshly her nostrils flaring as she nodded. "That's all I needed to know."

"You are shivering, come inside," Regina gave her a beautiful lying smile "I hope this means you can start to trust me again."

Emma laughed at that. She laughed so hard she got tears in her eyes.

XxXx

Emma pretended nothing was wrong that night but went to bed alone. Henry was glad that she wasn't mad at him and went out of his way to try and make her laugh. She had humoured him as best as she could and eventually snapped out of her mood. Nothing would get solved if she continued feeling sorry for herself.

"I wish I could find a bar and get completely wasted," she muttered to her reflection but it didn't answer back. She ran her hands through her hair, she looked so damn old. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands because she didn't want to see. She hated being weak or defenceless. She promised herself that she would never be those things again.

"Are you up for a moonlit walk?"

Emma looked up to see Maleficent lounging in her doorway with a smile on her face. "Is this an attempt at wooing me?" She asked in no mood to be toyed with.

"Oh dear," Maleficent laughed musically and stepped into the dark hallway "attempts are for those that don't have plans. I already know what's going to happen in the future. This is just to aggravate Regina for a little ambush she sprang on me the other day."

"An ambush, what happened to you plan?" Emma asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Fear not, the ambush was a petty strike. Ultimately it was a gesture of futility," Maleficent gave her traditional shark like smile showing off all her pretty white teeth "I've already won."

"You're both so damn arrogant," Emma said getting up and walking pasted Maleficent "you're just lucky I'm slightly more pissed at Regina than you."

"An excellent frame of mind I would recommend that you stick to it," Maleficent slipped in step beside Emma and gracefully took her arm without missing a beat. They seemed to be going deeper into the castle as Maleficent lead the way from slightly behind Emma.

"I can see how it would suit you," Emma rolled her eyes and pushed Malficent's hand off her arm. She wasn't big on people invading her personal space. She also didn't want to walk down stairs with Maleficent either beside or behind her. She gestured for the other woman to go in front as they climbed down the stone staircase.

"Tell me dear, do you ever wonder when you're rutting with Regina if she's actually seeing you or someone else?" Maleficent's eyes glinted with cutting humour. Another corridor and another descent down a flight of stairs.

Emma snorted. Maleficent had said that like it was supposed to hurt. "I fucked Regina because my pants got ahead of my brain. Again. We both got what we wanted."

"I'm so happy for you both," Maleficent "as idiotic and rash as the decision was I have every confidence you'll both get what you deserve." She turned her attention to a guard that had stepped out of the shadows.

"I'm sorry Mistress but the north wing is off limits to Ms Swan," the guard said. He looked about twenty at a push and still had a youthful face that the awkwardness of teenage years still clung too. He looked a little too small for his imposing black uniform and the ridiculous helmet that the guards wore making them look like demented black hedgehogs added to the illusion that he was a boy playing dress up.

"What is your name pretty little thing?" Maleficent voice dropped softly and Emma noticed immediately a sweet smell that pulled her attention towards the other woman and held it hostage. Maleficent flowed towards the guard and around him seizing him up from every angle.

"Ha-Harvey," the boys voice crack.

Emma pulled her eyes away with a jerk and breathed in heavily through her mouth. God Mr Mills had warned her about this trick what felt like years ago.

"I'm sure Regina won't mind if I take Emma into the north wing," Maleficent purred in his ear. Harvey's face flushed bright red but he wavered.

"I'll have to alert the Queen," He squeaked.

"Of course," Maleficent cooed running her hand across his shoulder and up to cup his chubby cheek. She leaned in and hypnotised him with her gaze "but you're going to give us at least half an hour before alerting the Queen, after all, I just want to show her one room, there's no harm in that right?"

"No, I guess not," Harvey seemed to lean forward his eyes fluttering shut. "You'll need a torch, its dark down there."

"Brilliant!" Maleficent slapped his cheek jovially startling him. She grinned over her shoulder at Emma and jerked her head as she lifted a torch from its bracket "let's go dear."

Emma slipped passed the guard giving him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "That's cruel what you do."

"Make people happy?" Maleficent said innocently. Lie.

"That weird smelly trick of yours," Emma frowned.

"Oh do grow a sense of humour Ms Swan," Maleficent waved away her concern "the boy is fine and I haven't used it on you once in my visit."

"I wonder why," Emma looked at her curiously.

Maleficent shrugged "vanity. Darling I want you moaning and cursing my name because I over whelm your senses naturally not with magical compulsion."

That sounded like the truth so Emma let it go. She stopped short as her eyes caught on something so out of the ordinary that she had to stop and stare. "That's a picture."

"Yes dear and that's a door," Maleficent mocked her not seeing the significance.

"That's a coloured picture," it was off a homely cottage with smoke rising from the chimney and hearts carved into the red shutters with a yellow door that had a big wooden doorknob in the middle of the door. Around it was surround by cute fuzzy animals in a friendly and breath taking forest. On the edge of the picture there was a stream with a big red water wheel. "I haven't seen any pictures in the castle at all. The closets I've come to one is all those tapestries and wall hangings and they're all in black and white."

"Look around you dear, does it look like Regina, or anyone else, has set foot in here lately?" Maleficent's voice wasn't mocking. It was like she was trying to point something out to Emma.

Emma just looked at her confused and Maleficent gave a huff before continuing on. Not wanting to be left in the dark Emma hurried to catch up with her. They stopped in front of a set of double doors that curved in an arch at the top. The blue paint work on the doors was faded and dust gathered on the cut in fancy details of small flying birds. Maleficent threw open the doors like she had every right to invade the place. It was obvious she didn't belong. At the back of Emma's mind a prickling unease was competing with her curiosity.

She wasn't sure if she belonged there either.

"Lights," Maleficent's hands lit up and the old torches and fireplace came to life despite no one having stocked them in years.

Emma gasped drawn into the room in a fascinated horror. The room was probably bigger than hers both in length and width but not obnoxiously so. Whoever lived in this room had been loved because aside from Regina's parlour and bedroom this was the only other room in the castle where Emma had seen the entire floor carpeted. The fireplace was twice the size of hers and decorated with a marble mantle on top of which intricately carved animal statues hid behind each other. Some were made of glass and jewels others ceramic and bits of clock work and tin. It was an odd bits and pieces menagerie but every figure looked like it had been loved but now was sadly abandon under its layer of dust. A smashed dove laid just outside the roaring fire its pieces the last echo of the crime here.

There was a double bed with a tattered and moth eaten canopy. Its crumbled sheets and bedding was balled into the middle of the bed. An oak writing table with its drawers gutted and threw at its feet while private letters sat brazenly in the open for anyone to see, sat near the small double doors that lead out into a private garden that had long been over grown. The only thing that thrived there was weeds and what seemed to be the withered trunks of apple trees.

The walls were a faded yellow that once might have been cheerful but had warped and soured without care. It was broke up by portraits of people and happy memories but dangled about the room and reflected in the frames of walls where thousands of mirrors of different sizes that constantly played different images of the same woman.

"Pretty as a picture..." Maleficent reached up with one slender finger and decisively nudged a mirror dangling on a string just above her head. The image swung back and forth mockingly like the laughing woman in its reflection "...your mother when she was younger, no?"

"What is this place?" Emma whispered disturbed drawn further in despite her horror. She passed a vanity and placed her hand on a fine china brush that still had dark hairs in it. The three sectioned mirror was the only thing that wasn't playing any images. It didn't reflect anything at all.

"This," Maleficent spread her arms as if to force the entire view of the room on Emma "is how I win."

Emma's gaze snapped to her in a glare. Her stomach was a tight knot of nausea that would make her sick if she dwelt on it. Anger. She could do anger. It was easier than whatever other complex feelings were crawling up her guts making her want to vomit.

"Now, now," Maleficent stepped back raising her hands placating but the smug victory of her eyes was only dulled and it still needled at Emma. "Don't give me that face. This is all Regina's doing and I think you know that."

Emma gazed around the room finding very little smashed or disrupted. She lived with a man for a while. When she caught him cheating on her with their fifteen year old neighbour she chucked the girl out and explained to her that he was an ass that prayed on low self esteem and she could do much better. Then she took a sledge hammer to his jeep and dragged it up eight flights of stairs because they lived in a shitty building where the elevator never worked and used the sledge hammer to turn all his shit into dust; his painstakingly maintained vinyl records, his wide screen tv and anything else he would enjoy including his toilet bowl, sink and shower. The handle of the sledge hammer broke off in her rage and she used it to given him one good smack with it before she packed up her shit and left him and never thought of him again.

This room though, it had been preserved. Nothing had been smashed or broken in a rage. The things had been painstakingly left as they were. Even the broken dove seemed to have been preserved like an echo of the last time this room had seen life. She could just imagine Regina-no the Queen, standing here frozen, soaking up the memories that enraged her. Bottling them up and visiting to restock on the anger and hate. A constant reminder of a grudge that will never be forgot or forgiven.

Hundreds of mirrors playing thousands of imagines all horrible and silent. Noise didn't travel through the mirror and the oppressive silence crowded Emma, Snow's face laugh, crying, smiling, thoughtful all refracted in different reflections. She couldn't look away and the feeling in chest got tighter.

"Why?" Emma strangled out at last. The question was so small and inept at quantifying everything she wanted to know.

"Did I ever tell you about what happened to the Huntsman that let Snow go?" Maleficent spoke sitting down on the trunk at the end of the bed spreading her legs and leaning back. She never took her gaze of Emma's face. It was like she was drinking in every reaction. "The Huntsman let her go out of compassion and lust, she was an awfully pretty thing, especially when she cried."

In the corner of the room half obscured by the doors Maleficent had flung open was an armoire. The door had been left open. It looked like the only thing that had recently been disturbed. "Well the poor dear tried to fool the Queen with an animal's heart. She wasn't fooled for long and in revenge she cut out the Huntsman's heart and kept it in her vault. He became part of her Royal Guard, the Heartless. He lived on like a slavish zombie broken and bidden to fulfil all of the Queens desires," Maleficent gave a twisted smile "she abused him in the foulest of ways until the day she received the most joyous of news, her dear Snow White was to marry."

Inside the armoire Emma recognised the dress that she had worn just after she had come back from her escape attempt. The long blue skirt with the yellow and red capped sleeves. Her mother's dress. She knew it was Snow Whites dress. She just hadn't known what it meant. Did Regina look at her differently when she wore it? She couldn't remember.

"On that wonderful day she dressed the Huntsman like a prince," Maleficent flicked her hand at the mirrors and they all changed to play the scene. "A good looking man by every account, Regina always did have a thing for rough faces," he was good looking and dressed in expensive clothes looking like a dashing prince but still a man of the forest as he had on a wolf skin fur draped around his shoulders. "The prince and princess were making their vows when the doors of the cathedral burst open and the Huntsman stood in all his glory framed by the sunlight. He strolled boldly up the aisle and not recognising him at first Snow hid behind prince charming as he shielded her."

Emma's attention was drawn fully to the dangling glass in front of her. It was a rectangle just big enough to reflect her face and it twisted back and force replaying the scene of the Huntsman walking up the aisle on its front and back. There was of course no sound. Maleficent came to stand opposite her so that Emma caught glimpses of her face and the scene back to back in the slowly turning mirror.

"Snow suddenly realised who this man was, he was the man she had to thank for all her current happiness, her life, her friends, her one true love and her happy ever after," Maleficent's words were spiteful and her smile was twisted and wicked "she pushed passed the prince and she picked up her long flowing white skirt, swan feathers of course, and ran to embrace the wonderful man that was responsible for her happiness. They embraced in the centre of the aisle as the whole world looked on. As they drew back from the embrace still loosely linked he gave her a beautiful smile, he truly did have a wonderful face so open and expressive, honest and happy, like his life before he met Snow, and then he drew the dagger from his belt and slit his own throat with that beautiful smile never faltering. He collapsed on to her and bled out staining her lovely white dress."

Emma watched as the overwhelming joy on Snows face broke into terrified horror as the Huntsman collapsed on top of her taking them both to the ground. She could see Snow cradling the Huntsman too her panicking and pleading for help from the guests. The mirror turned for a brief second showing Maleficent's face devoid of all emotion except a cold ruthless hunger before twirling back showing Snow with blood poured everywhere staining her hands, her dress and the floor around her not to mention the Huntsman's body too.

"She begged and she pleaded for help but he died in her arms," Maleficent grabbed the spinning mirror with both hands one at its top the other at its bottom. She placed the mirror side by side with her own face and gazed steadily at Emma's face "Regina watched all this from her parlour thousands of miles away, she's watched it countless time since. But why didn't she just have him kill Snow, I hear you ask, he was right there, she could have had her revenge," Maleficent's mouth twisted again and her entire face seemed so alien to Emma, so distorted that she couldn't recognise anything human in her at all. "Because Regina wants the pain, the suffering and the tears, death would be too easy and your mother is so pretty when she cries."

Emma lashed out but Maleficent must have expected it because she suddenly wasn't there but halfway across the room next to the bed. Her easy friendly smile was back in place and her voice no longer held that soft hungry edge that made Emma's skin crawl. She spread her hands and gave a short little laugh of real amusement. "Now, now dear, hitting the massager is just downright bad manners."

"What are you doing here?" Emma turned to see the three sectioned mirror filled with the sharp enchanted face of Seymour "I felt someone messing with my mirrors, you are not allowed in this room."

"Ohh, her greatest spy and magical masturbatory device," Maleficent gave a thrill of delight flicking her wrist and the two sections of mirrors on hinges closed in his face. He reappeared in every reflection in the room casting a green pallor everywhere which didn't help with Emma's nausea.

"Why did you show me this, tell me that?" Emma swallowed the hard lump in her throat.

"Don't believe anything this snake told you!" The mirror snarled its face twisting.

"Because I've never done anything like that," Maleficent ignored the mirror focusing on Emma to the exclusivity of everything else "because whatever little plan Regina has cooked up seems to be working. See her for what she truly is. They call me a snake, a liar and a whore but go on mirror, show her my worst crime, it doesn't come close to that. And that's not even the worst thing Regina has done."

Seymour looked terrified for a split second and then all at once every reflection in the room dulled as the face in the mirror hid.

"You have yet to see me at my worst."

Emma turned and there, looming tall in the doorway, armed with shadows stood Regina, her face a cold mask and her eyes burning with an intense fury as her crown gleamed wickedly despite no light being cast upon it.

She looked like an Evil Queen.

XxXx

A/N: I can't believe we're finally here! It's take 13 chapters and a ridiculous amount of words but we finally made it to the scene that was responsible for the entire fic. If you write yourself you know that sometimes you just have an epic scene in your head that you love and the rest of the story builds itself around that scene. For me it was Emma in the room full of mirrors as she was the Evil Queens prisoner. I loved writing that scene but honestly its been written/reworded/changed so much that I was tempted to put off updating to keep playing with it. Its still not quite right but I'm happy enough and don't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. You've all been so great supporting the story.


	14. Chapter 14

"Leave. Now," Regina spoke directly to Maleficent. She stepped into the room her foot claiming territory like a dark invader as the shadows still clung to her in tendrils of servitude.

Maleficent crossed her arms and relaxed before rolling her head towards Emma "should I leave Ms Swan? Do you want to be left alone with this," her voice paused to inject significance "witch?"

Regina threw back her cloak drawing herself up aggressively seeming to swell with rage as the shadows deepened around her. Emma was glad to have something that her anger could feed on. The fear in the back of her mind was ignored to the best of her ability. She was pretty damn good with ignorance.

"Stay, I want to hear her excuses," Emma said with a hard edge in her voice. She also didn't want to be Regina's sole focus at the moment.

Maleficent smiled and gave a little curtsey "as you wish."

The Queen looked like she was going to kill Maleficent where she stood but the other woman brazenly turned her back and looked out into the over grown garden with a smirk.

"I am not repentant," Regina tilted her chin up and dared Emma to protest "I regret nothing of my past. It is no secret that I hated your mother. Nor was it that I did all in my power to make her life miserable. You were fine before knowing that."

"I didn't see it!" Emma snapped "I didn't understand what it was you did! I told myself that I didn't care that you ripped me away from my family because it made me who I am! The truth is my life sucked because of you. Whatever she did to you it couldn't have been worth everything you've done to all of us."

"You have no idea of her crimes against me!" The Queen roared and the fire burst forth and overflowed from its pit "Because of her I lost my chance at a happy ever after!"

"And so you decided to ruin hers?" Emma screamed back.

"Do not take the moral high ground with me Emma, you are not that innocent," the Queen sneered "You threw a guard out a tower window, you helped me hide killing the man that hurt Henry and you were willing to let me behead all those guard on duty that day and you were the one that thought 'fucking' your jailor was a good idea, not to mention, that you considered selling your cunt to a more powerful alley. Those are only the transgressions you have committed since you got here, who knows what you did in the other world. I imagine having a child out of wedlock was the least of your crimes!"

Emma felt like someone had gave her a full body slam. Her jaw tensed and her lower lip twisted frustrated and furious she bared her teeth in a snarl. "I did what I had to do too survive-!"

"-That is all I have done!" The Queen snapped at her "I could not live knowing that the one who took everything from me was happy. It was like having my heart ripped out everyday! Every smile was a knife to cut my flesh! This world punishes all those that do not fit within it. Because I was active in going after what I wanted, because I was not content to be rescued and learned magic to defend myself, because I chose to be powerful instead of weak and passive this world punished me! It ripped everything from me and sent the cruellest of weapons to do it. That passive, weak and spineless creature that destroyed everything through sheer naiveté, the cruellest of weapons to torture me with, she, the model I failed to live up to."

"Get over it! Happy ever after doesn't exist," Emma snarled "not even in the fairytales!"

"Oh, no, they exist," Maleficent's voice finally joined the argument. She sounded so sure that Emma faltered "happy ever after is not a myth. It's very real in this world and it's the prize that everyone covets. Unfortunately not everyone gets it."

"No," Regina said bitter and angry "people who do not fit the morals of this world are deemed 'evil' and can never find any happiness or peace. That is the natural law of this world that not even the most power magic can break."

"Some of us can still find peace," Maleficent was back to joking "I find plenty of peace in my menagerie and my orgies. Happiness can be found in fleeting moments for some," Maleficent rolled her smile between the two of them wanting to catch them both in her satisfied glimmer "but it is true that you my dear Regina, can't even find a moment of peace."

"Why?" Emma asked with a frown.

The Queen looked livid and seemed on the verge of attacking Maleficent to shut her up. Maleficent stepped behind Emma using her as a shield and took the opportunity to hug her and set her chin on Emma's shoulder. Regina couldn't do anything to her without hurting Emma. Emma waited to see if it would come to that.

"You see my dear, that curse that Regina placed upon you as a child," Maleficent whispered directly in her ear "the price, because all magic comes with a price dear, was that it left a hole inside her that nothing will be able to fulfil. In effect, Regina made a decision long ago to have revenge instead of any fleeting happiness."

"She can never feel...?" Emma's mind whirled with the implications and she felt irrationally betrayed. Like a girl stood up on prom night. Which was stupid because she had never wanted-or thought-about them-didn't entertain the idea...

"That's right dear, all that time playing happy families and conflicted lover was just an act," Maleficent let her go probably sensing she was going to lash out. Because that's what she did, she lashed out when things hurt her. There was a prickling behind her eyes which just meant she was going to hit something.

She tried to force a grin but her mouth opened and jerked up at one side. It would work as a sneer. She tried to scoff but it came out more like a pant "and the Oscar goes to...hey, congrats, I'm usually better at knowing when I'm being played," in the bedroom anyway. This had just shown her she hadn't changed much from the frightened seventeen year old waiting terrified and alone for the pregnancy test results.

"It wasn't like that," Regina had enough sense not to physically reach out "being around you, I did feel something, for the first time in years, you made me feel."

"Come on Regina," Maleficent coaxed waving at the air lightly her voice overly cheerful and curious "now that the cats out of the bag why don't you tell us your plan? I know you have one," Maleficent turned and wagged her finger at Emma "always has a plan tucked away somewhere that one does, I would be envious if she wasn't so predictable. Why don't you tell her your plan before I tell her what I think your plan is. You know riddles and guessing games were always my thing you can keep your complex puzzles. They don't really hold up after you solve them once and if there's anything to say about us Regina dear, it's that I have you all solved."

"Tell me," Emma said ignoring Maleficent as a question from earlier in the night came back to her "when you were fucking me, did you ever think of Snow White?" It seemed irrationally important now.

Regina looked startled at the question but looked away and wouldn't answer. It was answer enough for Emma. She crossed the distance and punched her in the face with all the strength of the mess up emotions in her body. Regina stumbled and Emma liked to think that without the wall in her way she would have been floored. Her own face was twisted with so many emotions she couldn't untangle them. God knows what Regina was reading from her face.

She heard clapping behind her and turned to see Maleficent applauding with a genuine smile on her face. "I don't get you two," Emma spat "you're supposed to be friends and this is how you treat each other? You're both bastards."

"Darling," Maleficent looked offended for the first time "I'm Regina's only friend. Everything I do I do for us. She may not see it now," Maleficent stared straight passed Emma to Regina who was regaining her feet "but I'm doing this for both of us."

"Bullshit," Emma let out "you're both full of bullshit and poison."

"Regardless," Maleficent smiled her shark like smile and focused on Emma "we're your only way out of here. Now let's return to the issue at hand. You're still a prisoner in a strange world. You want to go home with your son and have no means to do so by yourself."

"Maybe I want to stay here, try and make it work with the family I was stolen from," Emma snapped aiming that at Regina.

"Well then," Maleficent spread her hands out and her smile only sharpened "that still works. You should bind us in a contract. My offer is to give you and your boy your freedom after one week of servitude to be completed by you. Regina promised to find out how to send you back at the circle and then send you home, of course to make it fair, and we can't have an unfair contract, heaven forbid, if she can't fulfil her end of the deal you go back to being her prisoner and don't have to complete the condition she wants. By the way dear, what was it that you asked Ms Swan for in return?"

"She didn't ask for anything," Emma said with a frown.

Maleficent gave her a looked that just seemed to say 'aw, how cute' in the most patronising way ever "I bet that made you pretty docile didn't it? You were a happy little captive because you assumed you could go home without paying for anything, when all along Regina was working to gain your trust. What better way to do it than to seemingly offering something out of the kindness of her heart?"

Emma flushed humiliated "it wasn't like that," she wasn't that much of an idiot "she said that she only wanted to hurt Snow White. Sending me away would do that." She also said that Emma would never escape her.

"So would killing you dear," Maleficent pointed out mockingly "you saw how creative she is at hurting people. You think she couldn't have found a better use for you than sending you away?"

Emma looked at Regina wondering at the answers to all these questions but Regina wasn't talking. She wasn't even looking at Emma.

"Anyway," Maleficent moved on sensing nothing else to torture Emma with "Regina dear you really must decide what you want out of Ms Swan, you can't have a unilateral contract. You can never get something for nothing."

Regina scrutinised Emma and she felt herself tensing. What would Regina ask for?

"If I find an alternative way to send her home," Regina said slowly a thousand thoughts flashing across her face too fast for Emma to read them "she must take my father with them. Being apart from Henry would devastate him."

"Oh, what a pro," Maleficent clapped slowly looking back at Emma for confirmation "look at how wonderfully she plays the game. She doesn't think she's out yet. Going for the emotional self sacrificing request to earn sympathy that she may later exploit in her plan, truly a pro, I bow in honour my friend."

"Shut up," Emma snapped about ready to start punching again. She regarded Regina thoughtfully "I agree, Henry really loves Mr Mills. You and he don't seem to share the same values."

Maleficent smirked as Regina flinched. She clapped her hands and as she drew them away a contract formed. "Now Regina dear, lets discuses binding terms, we have to agree to a non interference clause."

"What's that?" Emma frowned.

"Nothing for you to worry about dear," Maleficent didn't spare her more than a second benign smile her attention fixed on Regina "this binds Regina and I to the contract. It stops us from interfering in the others business. Had this been in place before, I would never have been allowed to show you this room. I know how much you hate these contracts Regina dear, but it's the only thing that will make Emma trust us again. You do want her to trust you right?"

Regina glared and folded her arms "you can't use your magic on either of them, none of those mind control tricks on anyone."

Maleficent rolled her eyes "honestly the way you people refer to it it's like no finds me attractive on my own merits. Agreed. Starting from now no spying on the other, none of your mirror tricks. A total blackout concerning the others activities," Maleficent smirked over at Emma "I have some grand plans for you Ms Swan. The impact will be such a trip," she leered.

"Why?" Regina asked suspiciously.

"Because believe it or not Regina dear, some people don't like being spied on every hour of the day," Maleficent replied with genuine vexation "not only is it perverted but I don't trust you not to ruin the surprise I have planned for Ms Swan. You might send a little pair of ears to hear things out of context after all."

Regina seemed to be thinking "this is only until after the circle tomorrow night."

"Just a little more than a day," Maleficent smirked.

Regina took a long look at Emma before giving a short begrudging nod. "Wonderful!" Maleficent smiled "so the contract stands; if Regina cannot secure an alternative way for Emma and Henry to return home by the start of the first day in spring, that being the day after the Magic Circle takes place, then Emma returns to being Regina's prisoner. If she does succeed Emma must take with her Regina's father Mr Mills. Alternatively Emma may choose seven days of servitude to me in return for her and Henry's freedom. Regina promises to hand over Emma and Henry fates to my hand if they choose my offer or keep them to herself if she fails-"

"There's nothing in that contract that would make you look for a way to send us home," Emma frowned at Regina "why don't we make it that unless you can find us a way home then we can go free?"

"Then it's a win win for you instead of me," Regina replied. Emma nodded, she liked that way better obviously.

"Ladies please, how about if Regina doesn't find a way to send you home then she apologises to Snow White and tells her you're here," Maleficent smiled "that's enough incentive to make Regina actually try and enough hope for Ms Swan."

"Absolutely not!" Regina barked.

"How about, you release me to Snow and I still let Mr Mills see Henry," Emma offered.

"We both get to see Henry and yourself every week," Regina bargained.

"Every month and don't expect me to be nice or even talk to you," Emma said firmly.

"Agreed," Regina nodded not entirely happy.

"Alright so with that added into the contract," Maleficent pressed on eagerly "if Regina cannot find a way to send you home she must release you into the care of Snow White subject to monthly visiting rights. My offer is unchanged, onto the bindings. I promise not to use any magic on Henry and Regina promises not to spy on me like a pervert. On the first day of Spring Emma must choose between our offers. Everything acceptable?"

"Wait," Emma frowned and Maleficent rolled her eyes "'choosing between you' that implies that I have to take one of the deals. Change it too 'has the option of choosing.'"

Maleficent raised her eyebrow "your reputation as an idiot isn't entirely deserved," the contract glowed and the words were changed to Emma's satisfaction. Both witches signed. Emma hesitated but looking at both Regina and Maleficent, it seemed that this was the only weapon she had against them. She steeled her resolve and signed.

"Emma..." Regina seemed to want to talk to her but she was all talked out tonight. She brushed right passed her and out the doors.

"Ms Swan," Maleficent caught up to her and fell into stride "may I walk you to your room?"

"You seem awful cheerful," Emma said glancing at her suspiciously.

"I should be, I've just won," Maleficent gave her shark like grin again.

"I might not choose you," Emma snapped tired of the sleaze and disappointed for no reason at all.

"Regina will never find a way to alter the curse and that's the only way to cross to your world aside from messing with beings more powerful than herself, which no offence Ms Swan, she wouldn't do that for something like you, that leaves you with the option of choosing unconditional freedom that I represent or spending the rest of your life seeing Regina's smug face once a month," Maleficent seemed to be skipping "you'll choose me and even if you don't, I've won anyway."

"Is messing up Regina's plans that important to you?" Emma shook her head if she was a better person she would feel pity but all she felt was scorn.

"That, that is the highlight of my life," Maleficent smiled stepping aside to let Emma enter her room "Good night Ms Swan. I hope you have sweet dreams, I know I will." She gave Emma a smouldering look filled with promise.

XxXx

Emma paused in front of her closed door and rested her head against it. The wood felt cool and real which was grounding since she felt like she had been hung out to dry and left dangling in the wind. _You thought you could trust her_. _She believed you, treated you like an actual person and you fell for it_, that dark little voice in the back of her mind taunted her.

Emma had never had a problem kicking people when they were down, that included herself. She had been an idiot. She had wanted to believe-well, she was wrong. Regina was exactly what Henry had called her an Evil Queen. She should have realised it sooner. There were times when she left her mask slip and became the bitch she truly was.

Emma turned and slammed her back against the door before slowly sliding down. She gathered her knees to her chest and rested her head on them curling into a protective ball. It was all a lie, even when Regina looked so gentle teaching Henry to dance or how outraged she was when he cheated at rock paper scissors, the way she looked so amazed or stunned when Henry or Emma had smiled at her. She was a damn good lair Emma would give her that.

She turned her head and gazed at Henry's door. She was such an idiot and now she might have doomed them both. She wasn't a knight in shining armour, she wasn't even a good person until she met Henry. But now that she met him she wanted to be. She wanted to be his hero...because if she wasn't, where else did she fit in his life?

She didn't understand him most of the time like a real parent would. She didn't discipline, hell, she hadn't even taught him anything. No, she didn't have any of the special abilities that parents had when it came to dealing with their kids. The only thing she had in common was that she would do anything to keep Henry safe-!

Her head shot up, _that's it_! "Seymour!" She scrambled to her feet as the mirrors face shone distortedly in the brass handle. "Take me to Mr Mills room."

"Emma, I'm not supposed to help you," she couldn't make out his face but his voice sounded unsure.

"But you're going too," Emma grinned confident "because you like me and I've had a tough night."

There was silence then further down the corridor a torch holder flared green. Emma grinned and followed. He led her to the North Tower the same tower that Regina lived in but it was only on the third floor. There was much less steps to climb which was probably the reason it was chosen for Mr Mills to make it easier for when he got older. Emma knocked frantically.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Seymour's voice was hard "going against the Queen is suicidal, messing with her father is downright insane."

"You'll be surprised at what I'll do," Emma said to him but it sounded more like a promise.

There was frantic shuffling from inside before Mr Mills appeared looking harassed. He was tying a knot on his blue velvet dressing gown and his hair was sticking out at odd angles on his head. It was the most unpolished Emma had ever seen him looking but as soon as he caught sight of her the slightly aggravated look on his face gave way to concern. "Emma dear, is everything alright?"

"No," Emma shook her head and brushed passed him into his room. Mr Mills room was neat with burgundy carpet covering the whole floor. He had a gentleman's wardrobe and slept in a single bed with four posters but no canopy. His room was actually smaller than either Emma's or Henry's but much more comfortable and lived in. He had a bookshelf over flowing with many differently back books that had all been thumbed thoroughly. Some of them where children's books that matched the framed pictures of rough crayon drawings. Above the fireplace was the same family portrait that sat in the dining room but here in this room the faces didn't seem so judgemental. This was the first room in the castle where Emma could believe life actually took place. "Do you have any mirrors?"

"No, I love my daughter but there are some things that a man should be able to kept private regardless of if he is a father or not," Mr Mills assured her crossing over to his cupboard near the fire where he took out a tea set. He busied himself making tea "the kettle should still have enough water for two cups, please put it on the fire and sit."

Emma did what she was told preferring to sit on the end of the bed and letting Mr Mills have the only armchair. Mr Mills sat on the edge of the wingback chair and lent forward taking Emma's hands, she hadn't notice they had began to tremble. She told him everything that had happened that night including the contract she had signed. It all seemed to come bursting out of her in one breath and he just listened.

When she had finished the kettle began to whistle and Mr Mills drew back to make the tea. He took his time seeming to place the cups and the tea with deliberate slowness lost in his thoughts. "I steal biscuits from the kitchens," he said at last picking up a tin and offering it to her "as the Queens father I could simply demand or ask for them but I childishly take them when no one is looking. Sometimes I steal them fresh from the oven and burn my fingers," he gave a small fond sigh as she took a cookie "the cooks probably know what I'm doing but they indulge me my game. I've indulged both you and Henry and now it seems that you've got your fingers burned."

Emma took a bight of the biscuit and waited. She didn't sense any danger from Mr Mills but she also couldn't say where this was going.

"I love my daughter," he said sitting back on his chair. He reached for a framed drawing and looked at it indulgently "she used to sit for hours at my feet drawing, working on puzzles and sums, she's great with numbers did you know that?"

"Henry told me," Emma nodded.

Mr Mills shot her a brief smile before he went back to the drawing "she wanted nothing more that to find true love settle down and have a family, and then the king came and that all changed. I sometimes forget that she's not that little girl anymore," he looked up at Emma intently and put away the picture "we were not originally royalty, she was not originally so horrible. Always a touch selfish but I blame myself as I did indulge her. I love my daughter, Ms Swan, but I have also come to love Henry and even yourself. I would love for you to stay but it is clear that my daughter will ruin you."

"What?" Emma sat upright hearing her worse fear finally verbalised.

"That deal you made is nonsense. How often have you been shown the distance between Snow White's kingdom and ours? Visiting once a month means that you could never live there. It would take a months travel on horseback to reach the edges of the kingdom and then you would have to turn back for the visit. Even if she lets you go you could not go far. She had seemed so much like her old self recently that I had hoped that your influence might just be enough to heal her. Unfortunately she might have deceived even myself."

"What can I do," Emma asked because she hated to admit it but she might not be the idiot everyone thought she was but she still wasn't in their league when it came to manipulation "you know her better than anyone and you have a fair handle on Maleficent as well. How do I protect Henry?"

"You're going to take up horse riding," Mr Mills said out of the blue "on the first day of spring you are going to choose neither my daughter or that snake. This means that you will continue being Regina's prisoner but you will be freed from the contract. Then when I take Henry out riding you will come with us. There is usually a set of guards that will accompany us. You will kill them and take Henry and leave and I will never see you again."

"She's bound to know you helped us," Emma pointed out.

"Yes and she will be furious," Mr Mills nodded.

"Mad enough to kill you?" Emma asked.

Mr Mill hesitated.

"You can come will us, we could use a guide," Emma offered "my wood skills are less than stellar."

Mr Mills smiled and shook his head "I still love my daughter, I will not leave her."

"Why help us then?"

"Because if she does have a plan to use you then I believe it will destroy whatever humanity she has left. I foolishly still believe that you mean more to my daughter than even she might suspect and that hurting you will ultimately destroy her. I do this for all our sakes, even my short sighted progeny," Mr Mills took her hand "rest easy Emma, I am on your side."

He drew her into a hug and Emma let him. She closed her eyes and let herself believe in him. She was doing what she always did, rushing into things but as cynical and bitter as Emma was she still hoped. She had been betrayed and used countless times but she stilled trusted and Regina and Maleficent might mock her for it and Mr Mills might even now be tricking her but she didn't know any other way to be.

She was a rash idiotic fool that believed in the good in people and that's what she wanted Henry to do. She might not be a hero or a knight but right now, as Mr Mills pulled away giving her his promise to help, she didn't think being a fool was the worst thing she could be.

"Now, get to bed," Mr Mills smiled patting her head affectionately "even this will seem better in the morning."

Emma wanted to believe him.

XxXx

The next night Regina and Maleficent stood in the grand hall like magnificent birds of paradise. Maleficent's horned crown was a dark polished obsidian that sat among her light curls creating a sticking contrast. She dripped in expensive jewels from her thick gold neck piece, earrings, rings and many thin dangling gold bracelets each studded with a row of tiny perfect diamonds. Her dress was a dark shade of pink silk while a deep royal purple cloak draped over it deliberately showing the expensive fabric off and doing nothing to preserve heat.

Regina was of course in dark colours but they looked every inch as expensive as Maleficent's outfit. Instead of the broad hooped skirt that Maleficent wore she chose a tight fitting sheath that clung to her curves. Over the dress she had draped the coat of a black bear that looked like dark ink rather than fur. On her pale bare arm of her left hand an emerald snake encased in gold slithered right up to her elbow. Her other arm had a gold bracelet that looked more like a gauntlet. On her head she wore her golden crown as her hair was twisted into an elaborate knot at the side of her head.

If Emma even robbed them of half of what they were wearing she reckoned she and Henry could live a life of leisure until they died. Regina watched them as they came down the stairs. After the events of last night Emma was happy enough to stay in her room until they left but Mr Mills and Henry insisted that they go see them off. Emma couldn't shake her nerves. Tonight was the night everything changed.

"My dear," Mr Mills gave Regina a small smirk "did you leave anything in the treasury?"

"Don't be silly daddy," Regina sniffed fixing her fur "of course not."

Mr Mills laughed "you see Ms Swan this is the night that both sides of magic come together without bloodshed in a year. Naturally each side wants to outdo the other. Regina and her friends always make sure to go as opulent and excessive as possible while the others make a big to do about dressing in rags and good intentions."

"It wouldn't surprise me if Glinda was still putting patches on her dress," Maleficent mocked checking her reflection in the mirror by the door. "The woman wears nothing but Elvin silk all year round but tonight she acts the pauper because that's what 'good' should look like. At least we aren't hypocrites."

"Did you hear that Henry?" Regina asked with her eyebrow raised and a wry smile on her face "call us lairs, cheats and bad but do not call us hypocritical. That is where we draw the line."

Henry grinned back at her for a moment before he realised what he was doing. He smoothed out his face. He didn't know the truth of the contract but he had witness the scene of them arguing after the dance and he went out of his way to prove to Emma he was on her side. She hadn't doubted it for a moment but appreciated the support anyway.

"Oh please," Maleficent rolled her eyes "if I really cared what they thought then I would pull up to the meeting in a carriage dragged by the skeletons of war orphaned children and their pets."

"Well, you'll just have to make do with those unicorns you insist on bringing here," Regina sighed. Mr Mills kissed her proffered cheek and gave her a hug before stepping back "have a good time dear."

Regina just nodded and Emma realised that that was the most affection she had ever seen the two exchange. In fact that was the first time she had ever seen anyone touching Regina outside of their time fucking. "Come, Maleficent, the time to leave is now," Regina turned and walked away to the dark carriage just outside the doors. She hadn't looked at Emma once the entire exchange.

"Bye," Henry waved at Regina ignoring Maleficent completely.

"What no goodbyes for me?" Maleficent asked with mock sorrow before turning to Emma her eyes gleaming "goodnight Ms Swan, the next time we meet will surely be world shaking."

Emma didn't say anything she just crossed her arms and watched them leave. At the open doors an icicle dripped causing Maleficent to pause. She titled her head up looking like a dark silhouette in the doorway. "The snow has finally melted, winter is leaving," her head turned back towards Emma but it was too dark to make out any expression "who knows what will replace it?"

"Odious woman," Mr Mills muttered as the guards closed the grand double doors of the entrance hall. He shuddered seeming to try and shut off her lingering presence. Emma knew how he felt. He gave them a smile. "It will take them at least two hours to get to the meeting place. Let us have dinner together and then meet in Regina's parlour. We can use her mirror to spy on them, we won't be able to see Maleficent of course but we should be able to see Regina."

Emma and Henry shared a grin at that "tell you what kid, if you beat me to the dining room I won't make you eat vegetables." That had always been Regina's job.

"You're on!" Henry grinned and then took off running.

Emma looked at Mr Mills her face solemn and sincere "thank you," she said meaning it for everything she couldn't say.

Mr Mills nodded with a bitter sweet smile before tilting his head down the corridor after Henry "you better start running if you're to catch up to him," he squeezed her shoulder and seemed to know all that she wasn't saying.


	15. Chapter 15

The dinner was the happiest Emma remembered ever happening. With the last of winter still clinging to the windows, the roaring fire and the feast of food that passed for 'dinner' at the Queens table it was how Emma imagine a family Christmas might be. Even the guards that had been assigned to Emma and Henry tonight didn't dare intrude. Mr Mills presence kept them away.

"I have something for each of you," Mr Mills said as he dabbed his mouth with his cloth napkin.

"Presents?" Henry grinned his food immediately forgotten. Emma laughed and rolled her eyes at his eagerness.

Mr Mills smiled indulgently and went to the cabinet by the side of the fire. He withdrew two boxes one slightly bigger than the other. He gave the big one to Henry and then passed Emma the other. She took it hesitantly. She hadn't received many presents in her life and she didn't know the proper way to act. "Ah, thank you?"

Mr Mills chuckled "open it first, then you may decided if it is worth the thanks."

Henry was already ripping the plain green paper and the yellow ribbon lay somewhere on the floor. Emma opened hers more carefully.

"Cool!" Henry said drawing a sheathed dagger out of the box. He frowned as he tried to pry the blade free but it didn't move.

"I trust that Master Ignacio has taught you how to use a knife?" Mr Mills asked as he went to Henrys side. Harry nodded and handed the older man the dagger. Mr Mills took it and rolled up Henry's sleeve. Emma didn't even tense at the sight of him near Henry's unprotected wrist with a knife. Mr Mills buckled the sheath to Henry's forearm. It was a perfect fit stretching to from his wrist to his elbow. "The blade is designed to be kept out of sight and must only be drawn if your life is in great danger and there is no other choice. Do you understand?" Mr Mills face was serious.

Henry nodded trying to make his face seem grave but was too excited over his gift. He rolled down his sleeve and practice sheathing and unsheathing his knife with various expressions he thought were 'macho.'

"Come on Emma, what did you get?" He asked nodded to her box.

She laughed at him and finished opening her box. Inside was a detailed cloth map just a little bigger than a file page. She recognised the layout from the map Regina had shown her in her study so long ago. Beside the map was a wooden compass on a string with little wooden beads so that she could put it around her neck. She looked up at Mr Mills then looked away and cleared her throat. "Thank you," she said again staring at the fire to give herself a moment. She felt a squeeze on her shoulder and she nodded.

"I heard about how bad your wood skills are, I thought this might help you find your way. It was mine a long time ago. I received it from my mother, she told me that it is no ordinary compass, that it guides you not to where you want to go but where you need to be," Mr Mills smiled at her softly.

"Does it really?" Henry who hadn't been that fussed on her gift now looked at it with renewed interest.

"Who knows?" Mr Mills laughed and shrugged "in all the years I've had it, it has worked like an ordinary compass. Perhaps I just didn't need anything. At the very least it shall help you and Ms Swan find your way. I've outline different routes to Snow White palace, do not tell me which one you'll take, I'm afraid I'm very bad at lying to my daughters face."

"If I had a grandfather, I would want him to be just like you," Henry said suddenly.

Mr Mills looked shocked but it was obvious that that was the best gift that either of them could give him. Emma kind of wanted to chip in with her agreement but felt she had reached enough of her embarrassment quota. Mr Mills smoothed down his jacket to compose himself. He eventually nodded and replied "I no longer wonder what it is like to have a grandson, in you I've found the answer."

Henry nearly tackled the other man as he hugged him. Not used to such obvious displays of affection the other man none the less hugged back just as tightly. Would it be weird if she patted him on the back or something?

"We should adjourn to the parlour if we are to spy on the circle," Mr Mills cleared his throat and moved back from Henry with a small pleased smile.

"We won't be able to hear anything," Henry said disappointed. Sound didn't travel through mirrors.

"I dare say we wouldn't understand most of it if we were privy to sound," Mr Mills said waving them out, he stepped back and held the door for Emma before following them into the corridor. Six guards followed them at three paces behind. If Mr Mills hadn't been there they would have been right in step with Emma and Henry. "I've been in the room where both Regina and Maleficent have discussed magical theory and to a non practitioner not only does it seem unnecessarily complicated but..." he trailed seeming to look for a posh substitute to boring as hell in Emma's mind "...tedious."

"There's no way magic can be boring," Henry rolled his eyes as they climbed one of the numerous staircases "it can let you turn into a dragon!"

"You didn't seem that fussed when Maleficent offered to show you," Emma said.

"That's because I don't like her," Henry muttered darkly.

"Did she do something on you?" Emma asked her voice hard and her eyes narrowed.

Henry just shrugged and had Mr Mills not been between them Emma would have pulled him aside and made him talk. They arrived at Regina's parlour but Emma wasn't letting that go. She resolved to ask Henry about it later.

When they entered Regina's parlour because that had the biggest mirror, they arranged the seats in a semi circle in front. Henry sat on a little padded stool between them and Seymour only protested a little before he showed them a wooded glade filled with many people in flamboyant dress.

"That is Galinda the good witch of the north," Mr Mills pointed to a woman with well groomed hair that dressed in a pink dress with ragged patches. It looked poor but artificially so, like when jeans had artistic rips in them.

"She's very..." Emma cast around for a nice way to say what she was thinking.

"Blonde," Mr Mills filled in dead pan.

Emma chuckled. "There is..." Mr Mills continued to show them different witches and wizards both good and bad all dressed in many different outfits. Henry nearly had a fit when Seymour showed them a man in a blue robe decorated with suns and moons with a long white beard and said he was Merlin.

"And that," Mr Mills said his voice dropping into the disapproving tone he usually used when discussing Maleficent "that old woman with the deer skin across her shoulders and the antlers down her back," he pointed to a hunched over woman who sat grinding something in a mortar bowl. Her white hair was tied back in a strict braid as her sharp eyes watched everyone around her in a hawkish fashion. She was given a wide berth by many. "That is Baba Yaga," Mr Mills said in a loaded tone "she is perhaps one of the oldest beings in existence. No one is sure of her exactly, in some parts she is evil incarnate, in others she is merely a witch of the woods, but no where is she good."

A man with grey skin skipped over to her with an exaggerated bow. "That," Mr Mills lips twisted distastefully as his voice held the closest thing to loathing Emma had heard from him "is Rumplestiltskin. Never has a more hideous or heinous creature walk in this world. If you ever met him Emma run, listen not to his lies or jests and never strike a deal with him even if it is to save your life. He will always make the cost to high. He has no more function other than to spread misery, if evil has a face, it is his."

Emma blinked at the bile in Mr Mills tone but when he looked at her sharply she nodded. She watched as the supposed evil incarnate pranced around like a fool. The old woman turned her head and at her look he drew himself up with an obvious huff his features becoming sharper and more serious as he leaned towards her. She handed him a glass bell jar with a blue buzzing light in it. His freakishly thin fingers wrapped around it and he gave a smile. For a second it looked as he was looking right at them but he turned and danced over to Regina.

Regina looked in deep conversation with Merlin and Emma imaged they were discussing how to get her home. Rumple suddenly disappeared "I can't show you him anymore, he's next to Maleficent and I can't spy on her until the first day of spring," Seymour seemed annoyed at that. He wasn't used to privacy.

They watched as the circle eventually formed and what seemed like hated debates took place. It was hard to tell without any sound and soon Henry was asleep on her shoulder. Mr Mills explained what he could but magic had never interested him so his knowledge was limited.

"I should get Henry to bed," Emma murmured picking him up in her arms.

"There should only be more arguing," Mr Mills waved towards the mirror "nothing of importance that we would be able to ascertain anyway. Tomorrow is a big day for us all and we should greet it well rested."

"Good night," Emma smiled turning to leave.

"I have no doubts about Henry's safety in your care," Mr Mills said suddenly. Emma turned to look at him and he fiddle with his gold buttons looking slightly awkward but honest "you are better than you give yourself credit for...I believe you will accomplish many great things."

Emma was speechless but Mr Mills just gave her a solemn nod and she left him stand alone in Regina's parlour in the green light of the mirror.

XxXx

Emma was already dressed when the bang came at her door. The sun hadn't come up yet but Emma could tell it was almost time. She had on simple dark blue trousers that were tucked into gorgeous leather boots that came over her knees. She wore a short capped sleeve blouse with a dark blue waist coat with white lining. It was the closest her clothes came to black since the seamstress had been fed up with the colour. She had been up for hours just lying awake. Today was filled with such importance, it seemed like everything was going to change.

The door banged again and she opened it to see the rather annoyed face of a guard. "What?" She snapped not used to the rudeness anymore.

"Mistress would like to see you in the orchard and hear your answer," the guard said tugging at the neck of his breastplate. "I have a carriage waiting for you downstairs, she does not want to be kept waiting."

"Damn Regina and her stupid orchard," Emma grumbled stepping back into the room and half closing the door.

She was surprised when the guard followed her with a hand on his hilt "she's not going to take no for an answer," he glared.

"I was just getting my coat," Emma said staring at him as she slowly reached for her coat. She irrationally missed her red leather jacket for a moment. She regretted giving it to the seamstress, she wanted to feel like herself for a change.

The guard nodded and stepped back but didn't take his hand of the hilt. He jerked his head towards the door when Emma threw on her coat. She glanced at him sideways as she passed in front of him and considered throwing another guard out the window. He glared at her as if he could hear her thoughts and she just smirked at him.

He led them down to the front yard of the castle and nearly tripped on his cloak on the last step. He glared at her when she snorted and didn't help her into the carriage instead choosing to jump onto the drivers seat. The carriage wasn't the elaborate ones that Regina and Maleficent rode in, it looked more like an apple cart but it had a bench for Emma to sit on and no roof so she could enjoy the surroundings.

Spring had finally come with the few hold outs of snow quickly decreasing. Emma imagined it would all be gone by this afternoon. Slowly grass had started to uncover itself and shake off the ice and cold, here and there buds could be seen and even the trees that usually looked skeletal had got their colour back. In a few weeks this place would be bursting with colour and Emma was looking forward to it after so long in a black and white world.

The sun finally came up with they passed by the hill that they went sledding on what seemed like a life time ago now. She could see further up the path to a little gazebo but instead of an ominous black figure a purple one stood centre stage instead.

"I thought we were going to see the Queen?" Emma asked looking at the guard warily. He had taken off the stupid hedgehog helmet and sat it down with a sigh of disgust as he wiped his brow. He only spared her a glance over his shoulder before he answered "no, her Highness Maleficent give me the orders."

"But you called her your Mistress," Emma said alerts going off in her head as her instinct told her something was wrong.

"I misspoke," he shrugged drawing the cart to a stop.

He jumped out and held out his hand to help her down or make sure she got out. Emma brushed passed him and got out of the cart herself.

"Darling! Welcome! How about some breakfast?" Maleficent smiled extending a champagne glass while holding a fruit platter in her other hand.

"Why did you bring me out here?" Emma asked not taking anything as she stood at the bottom of the gazebo steps.

"Looks a little different without all the snow right?" Maleficent laughed setting the fruit platter down plucking a red grape for herself. "This is where I used to summon all those delightful creatures for Henry. I like to think of it as our spot," she toyed with the red grape rolling it along her bottom lip before trapping it in her sharp white teeth as she smiled around it "so where better to hear your answer than here?"

Emma looked behind her sharply to find the guard standing a little way off his eyes never leaving her for a moment. He looked like a watch dog. "Never mind him dear, he's just the help, now have an apple," Maleficent smiled.

"No thanks," Emma replied stiffly.

"Oh," Maleficent sighed "you are just determined to be boring aren't you? I don't have all day Ms Swan so satisfy my curiosity and tell me who you picked."

"I picked Henry," Emma said her chin tilted defiantly "Henry and I together will solve this. We don't need you manipulating us."

Maleficent rolled her eyes nearly turning in a circle as she sagged with disgust. "How utterly predictable, I am so terrible disappointed Ms Swan and least of all because you lost me money."

"What?" Emma said confused.

Maleficent tilted her head to the side seeming to be weighing something "well, at least you didn't pick me. It would have made my victory slightly sweeter but I'm glad Regina will have someone after all this is over."

The hairs on the back of Emma's neck stood up because although Maleficent was her usually smiling and teasing self there was a dangerous edge creeping into her smile. "What are you talking about? I didn't choose Regina either."

"You like her," Maleficent said in the friendliest tone Emma had ever heard her use "I'm truly glad, she is a dear friend after all. It's because I actually believe that she has feelings for you that you're not dead at my feet right now. You see Ms Swan," Maleficent stepped down from the gazebo slowly her hand trailing along the air gently as she invaded Emma's personal space "you have a habit of foiling my plans. I go to all the trouble to send one of the most powerful books in existence into that other world, only to have your brat bring you along and end up in the lap of my dearest friend," Maleficent shook her head slowly at the trouble "that was just bad timing, I wondered why it took so long for the kid to come, turns out he was too busy trying to track down his dear old mother. Should have realised when I sent the book that the sad little orphan would concentrate on the part where he has a family rather than the magical world awaiting him."

"You brought us here?" Emma repeated as Maleficent circled her. She pushed away unwilling to have either Maleficent or the guard at her back.

"Yes dear, I did just say that, do try and keep up," Maleficent rolled her eyes her horned crown glimmered in the early morning light making her seem more snake like "then you kill my werewolf and don't even have the decency to die in the act. He was one of the prides of my menagerie you know. And then you go on and destroy months of nightmares by interfering with the pied piper, honestly darling you've been so much trouble the others would have me kill you where you stand."

"What others? And you're the one that killed the piper," Emma glared.

"Only because your stupid mirror friend woke you up. I mean really, making friends with your furniture? How plebeian. It served you well in that instance I suppose but Regina was already on her way to you, I had to act fast or she would steal the credit and I couldn't have you trusting each other again. As for the others they were the ones who brought me back into the whole evil plotting thing. I had been happily retired when they came to me with a plan that was too good to pass up. You put a few kinks in it to be sure but thankfully the good Captain finally came through."

"Hello Ms Swan."

Emma turned instinctively lashing out but before she could break Azzeazal's nose a third time he grabbed her arm and twisted it violently. "Oh, Ms Swan its far too late for petty violence now," he kissed her cheek before shoving her forward to land on her knees in front of Maleficent.

"I saw the forest attack you there's no way you could have survived that," Emma glared at him as he came to stand beside Maleficent.

"The poor dear was at deaths door when I found him," Maleficent cooed patting him on the shoulder "torn limb from limb, but I brought him back," Azzeazal rolled up his sleeves to reveal a furry arm instead of skin "made a few improvement using what I could since his limbs were done for. Kept that brilliant vindictive mind of his though, had he been a whole man I might have kept him as a pet," she patted his sharp cheek bone and you could see how much the remark stung him. "Retirement has mellowed me, normally I would have left him to die after he failed to stop you rescuing Henry from my werewolf but at least he will be good for something. Having access to the workings of Regina's army will come in useful for the next bit. Amazing that she doesn't share that with her best friend right? How paranoid."

"Mistress the time," Azzeazal said softly.

"Ah, yes, while I would love to sit here and explain my brilliance a little more," Maleficent patted his chest softly "the contract is about to run out now that you've made your choice Ms Swan. It turns out you're going to be useful after all. Do say hello to everyone for me." Maleficent waved at her as the guard that led her here opened a cage door and a blue light flew straight at Emma. The little light hit her and she felt like she ran into a wall at full speed. Her stomach lurched as her world went black as a high pitched noise filled her ears. She felt a great pull and her lungs burned as all the air was sucked from them.

The last thing she saw was Maleficent blowing her a kiss.

XxXx

A/N, I guess you guys thought it would be all over now huh? There's no way I was ending this story here, there's too much loose ends to tie up and with how great you've all been supporting this story anything less would be doing you a disservice.

This chapter is pretty short but now that we're winding up to the end I hope to do shorter updates more often. I hope to be finished by the end of march. I'm pretty excited and next bit we finally get to see a bit of Regina's thoughts.


	16. Chapter 16

"Regina!" Maleficent threw open the doors of the dining room and rushed to them as they were having breakfast. "I am so sorry, I didn't think! It's Emma..."

"What is it?" The Queen asked looking concerned setting down her fork.

"I took Ms Swan out for an early breakfast, it was part of my surprise, I let down the wards in the orchard, I was planning to show her a phoenix when one of those little bastards got in. The little searcher fairies that Snow sent out years ago, apparently one of the little bastards never gave up. Before I could do anything she had been whisked away," Maleficent was nearly out of breath "she's gone. Snow has her."

"What?" Regina snapped enraged.

"Go see for yourself. We may still get her back!" Maleficent waved at her.

Regina stormed out and Henry and Mr Mills shared a look before running after her. She set a punishing pace and Henry was all but running to keep up.

"Why don't you use another mirror?" Henry panted.

"Because you can only travel through full mirrors and the nearest one is in my parlour," the Queen snapped at him throwing the doors to her parlour open wide "Mirror show me where Emma is!"

Seymour didn't even have the chance to be startled before the mirrors image rippled. The three of them crowded around it to see Emma's back as she was embraced by Snow White who had tears of happiness running down her cheeks with the most beautiful smile Henry had ever seen. His insides lurched as he watched. He wanted that.

Henry shrank away as he caught sight of the Queens face. It looked like a ghostly spectre over the embracing pair. He had never seen someone look that angry before. He hid behind Mr Mills as the Queen whirled around to face Maleficent "how could you let this happen? I will des-" She hissed looking ready for murder. Then the mirror rippled again dragging her attention away from Maleficent to show Emma's face.

Prince Charming or the king as he was probably now, had joined the hug looking overwhelmed but it was Emma's face that was halfway between stunned disbelief and happy tears that stopped the Queens rage cold. Her face drew Henry's eyes too as he peeked out from behind Mr Mills to get a better look. The expression seemed odd. It drew him closer to the mirror his curiosity overcoming his fear. He tilted his head to the side frowning and it was only after the Queen came to stand beside him and stare that he realised Emma looked happy. She looked carefree in a way Henry had never seen her look, she looked much younger and she was half laughing and half crying which made his eye uncomfortably hot because he was happy for her and at the same time so jealous. The Queen placed a hand on his shoulder and he recognised the same thing on her face.

Maleficent had been talking in the background while all this was going on but he only heard her when she said "-going after her, right?"

"What?" The Queen drew away to look back at Maleficent with a frown.

"Go after her and bring her back," Maleficent said waving at the mirror "there's only those two idiots and you're more than a match for them."

"You know their castle has wards on their mirrors," the Queen said her hand slipping from Henry's shoulder as she pulled away.

"We can do it together," Maleficent offered looking sincere "I messed this up for you Regina dear and I want to make it right. Together we can smash right through their wards. If you just grab her and go there will be no problem."

The Queen seemed to be considering it, for a long moment a war raged across her face and her face contorted in a snarl until she finally turned to look at him. He cocked his head to the side and studied her just as intently. Her eyes suddenly cooled and her face relaxed but didn't soften. She took one last look at the mirror where the happy trio were separating and for the first time she didn't look like an Evil Queen to Henry. She just looked like a sad woman standing all alone.

She turned back to Maleficent with a smile "thank you, you really are a good friend, prepare the mirror."

Maleficent smiled in triumph before placing her glowing hands on the frame of the mirror. Seymour seemed to hiss at the sensation and the reflection shimmered before coming back solid. Regina did the same until the mirror seemed to glow green around the edges with light pouring out of it. It cast a sick sheen across the room and both Regina and Maleficent seemed pale and alien in its light.

"There," Maleficent said stepping back "it should be ready. Our magic will be drained for a day or two but it will be worth it."

"Yes it will," the Queen nodded giving the mirror one last look.

"Regina-" Mr Mills tried to cut in imploringly but the Queen just held up her hand stopping him.

"Henry, say goodbye to my father," the Queen said stepping back. She drew her cape around herself trying to hold on to that at least.

"What?" Maleficent said just as surprised as Henry.

"You're letting me go?" Henry asked stunned. He wanted to make sure.

The Queen nodded "I made your mother a promise so very long ago that neither of you would ever escape me. Even now I could take her back. I would have hunted you both to the ends of the earth, I could keep you forever, you would never escape me," the Queen's head was tilted up and she looked down her nose at the mirror and Henry trying to seem much larger than she was but for some reason Henry wasn't convinced this time. The stern look then faded as her eyes dropped to the floor "...but I can let you go." She said softly almost unwillingly.

Henry looked at her and he couldn't read the expression on her face. Maleficent looked like she could be knocked over with a feather and Mr Mills looked both happy and sad.

"Is there anything you would like to take with you?" She offered.

"No," he shook his head furiously anxious that she would change her mind if he didn't hurry. He turned to Mr Mills but he didn't have anything more to say. His throat was closing up when he tried to speak and the older man just gave him a smile and a hug.

"I know dear boy," he said kindly reluctantly letting him go.

"You actually feel something for her," Maleficent said in wonder "it should be impossible but you were telling the truth. I thought it was just some mild affection but..."

"I'm letting her go," the Queen said softly looking at Emma in the mirror her hand was gripping the golden frame so tightly that it had a slight tremor "I have to let her go..."

"I'm so happy for you," Maleficent tilted her head and gave the Queen a small conflicted smile. The Queen didn't turn and by the time Henry saw the knife it was too late to cry out a warning. Maleficent stabbed her in the back and the Queen arced forward with her eyes wide in shock as Maleficent shoved her through the mirror where she disappeared.

"I do hope they have a doctor on hand, the things she makes me do...honestly she's more trouble than she's worth sometimes," Maleficent turned to them with a perturbed smile as the mirror rippled angrily before solidifying once more.

The doors opened and Henry shrank back as Azzeazal stood menacingly in the door way "smash every mirror in the place even the windows, break or burn anything that has a reflection. Regina isn't to know a thing."

Azzeazal bowed as a sudden roar erupted in the courtyard and yelling seemed to come from everywhere. Henry grabbed for Mr Mills hand as he looked about him.

"The castle is under attack by my soldiers," Maleficent explained "Regina posted most of her army on the boarders where she believes my army is fighting giants. What she didn't know is that I've long ago had a treaty with the giants and they're only causing a distraction, allowing me to have my real army slip around hers and attack her when she's vulnerable. I can't take all the credit, the good Captain was responsible for a lot of my success providing names of which guards could be swayed. I guess that is what my 'icky smell' is good for. There are of course some die hards that need to be dealt with."

"Why are you doing this?" Mr Mills demanded pushing Henry behind him protectively "as deceitful as you are I thought you would at least respect my daughter."

Maleficent laughed "dear old Mr Mills, do shut up," five guards entered the room but instead of the black the Queens wore they were dressed in bronze. They all wore helmets that were shaped like a dragons head. When the visor was open their faces peeked out of the dragons mouth looking like they were being devoured. "When I'm done Regina will be thanking me. Maybe not at first but she'll come around."

"What are you going to do with us?" Henry asked trying not to show how frightened of her he was. He glared at her with all his might and squared his jaw. That's what Emma would do in this situation.

"Well, Mr Mills is going to take a long nap and a trip to the dungeon while you Henry are going to come with me," Maleficent smiled but it wasn't a very nice one "we're going to see more of the fairy tale world, you'll like that right?"

"I won't leave the boy," Mr Mills glared tightening his grip on Henry.

"You don't have a choice," Maleficent nodded and two guards came to separate them.

Henry tried to fight them off clinging to Mr Mills as the old man did his best to shield him. In the struggle Henry felt his knife slip out and just like Master Ignacio taught him he went for the weakness in the armour at the knee joints. The guard howled as his blade slid home, it allowed Mr Mills to grab his sword and kill the other guard with a surprising amount of skill and ease for a man of his years.

He held the sword out threateningly "you are nothing without your magic harpy," he growled at Maleficent.

"Not quite nothing considering I do have an entire army at my back," Maleficent seemed unconcerned and exasperated at Mr Mills "honestly old man, what do you intend to do? Even if you do get passed us my army is everywhere."

"I know this castle," Mr Mills sneered "I know every way in or out and you haven't had enough time to smash all the mirrors. Now step aside."

"No," Maleficent snapped annoyed at the blustering.

Mr Mills swung his sword threateningly and cut her cheek in warning. She jerked back with a hiss her hand coming up to cover the bloody cheek. The other three guards formed a protective wall around Maleficent and came at Mr Mills. He fought them off valiantly and for a moment it looked like he might actually win.

Then one of the guards kicked Henry in the face and he cried out falling backwards. Mr Mills attention was jerked away from the fight by his concern and without fanfare one of the guards ran him through.

"No!" Henry cried out forgetting about the throbbing in his cheek as Mr Mills fell to his knees. The guard roughly jerked his sword free and stepped back. Henry scrambled over to the man he considered to be his grandfather. Another guard caught him but he didn't care he punched him in the eye and wiggled free until he was at Mr Mills side. The old man now lay slumped on the floor his eyes wide open.

He wasn't breathing. His eyes had this odd glassy look and it was obvious they weren't seeing Henry. He usually smiled when he saw him. Usually Mr Mills looked happy when he was around, he was one of the very few people who seemed to really like having Henry around. He didn't usually look this vacant.

"You idiot!" Maleficent snapped "I told you not to harm the old man!"

"My Queen, he attacked you!" the guard stuttered.

"Take off your helmet," Maleficent said angrily she grabbed at Henry's wrist and he struggled trying to get away from her.

"You're a bitch!" He spat lashing out.

Maleficent caught his hand and backhanded him roughly. It caused him to stop in shock and she glared at him before ripped the dagger off his wrist "there's no one here to protect you now kid, even the old man is dead, remember that. I don't have any fondness for children," she turned and without pausing shoved the dagger into the throat of the guard that killed Mr Mills. "Grab him and lets get going."

The guards got to work smashing the mirrors and windows. One scooped Henry up and threw him over his shoulder. He struggled and protested but no one paid attention, the only things he could see where Mr Mills glassy eyes following him vacantly.

XxXx

Emma came to an abrupt halt slamming into unyielding stone and lay there curled up and groaning. Her stomach was doing summersaults and it was all she could do not to throw up. Against her command she started retching as her head swam trying to get her bearings.

"Who are you?" A rough voice demanded angrily.

Emma could only groan but tried to focus long enough to catch a glimpse of the person talking to her. "James I think she's hurt," a woman's voice came further back.

"I don't care if she's dying, she shouldn't have been able to access our personal rooms," the mans voice again.

Emma quickly realised she didn't have the luxury of curling up and dying like she wanted to. She pressed her hand hard against her stomach to stop it heaving and pushed onto her knees with a groan. She held up a hand signalling for them to give her a second.

A soft hand touched her face and tilted her face up. Emma's eyes widened as she took in Snow White's face for the first time with her own eyes. Snow tilted her head and looked at Emma quizzically her brown eyes seeming both confused and at the same time as if they were on the verge of remembering something.

"Snow, come away," a gruff man pulled Snow behind him before grabbing Emma and dragging her to her feet. He released her once she was steady and pushed her away. "You have two seconds to explain how you got here before I kill you," James glared at her and Emma realised she really did have his square jaw.

"James," Snow placed her hand on his arm coming out from behind him her gaze still on Emma. She looked like she was trying to solve a puzzle she should know the answer too. The blue light buzzed around her excitedly and Snow looked at it then back to Emma.

Emma saw the exact moment Snow realised who she was. Her eyes went soft and wide and she pressed her hand over her mouth letting out a wordless cry. She pushed passed James and threw herself into Emma's arms causing her to stumble back. Emma felt herself gripped tightly and she looked just as confused as James who regarded them warily.

Snow pulled back her face on the verge of tears as her mouth fought a war pulling down as she tried to stop herself from crying while she also couldn't stop smiling. She cupped Emma's cheek her face flushing the same way Emma's did when she was resisting the urge to sob. She tilted her head again and her smile finally won out "you're my Emma..." she cried hugging her again "you're home, you're finally home..."

Emma had convinced herself that she never needed a home or parents. When she was a kid her and every other foster kid convinced themselves that their real parents where good people that didn't throw them away but had to give them up or that they were stolen from them. Then Emma found out that they were actually stupid and cruel enough to leave her on the side of the road to die and she swore she was better off without them. As a furious teenager she promised herself that if she ever did meet them again she would beat the crap out of both of them.

Maybe it was finally knowing the truth that she had actually been kidnapped or the trauma of being ripped out of her world and held hostage or maybe it was just that the child that dreamed of a happy family never actually died as much as Emma had wanted her too but as soon as Snow hugged her Emma broke down.

She clung back just as tightly to Snow and felt her face grow hot as tears welled up in her eyes. In her head she was just a kid again. A kid that had finally had her only wish come true. The idea of home resonated so profoundly inside her that when James finally came over stunned and awed to embrace them both she felt like she was actually whole for the first time in her life. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to be overwhelmed for the moment. She would let herself have this moment.

Emma pulled back swiping at the tears in her eyes and giving them both a smile. They royal couple both looked stunned. "I never gave up hope that you would come back," Snow said "we sent out those fairies the day you were stolen from us. All but one had come back and I had hoped that it was still looking for you. They told me that the Queen had sent you too far away, that they would never reach you, but I knew one day you would find your way back to us."

"I have so much to tell you I don't even know where to start," Emma said helplessly.

"At the beginning," James said decisively "leave nothing out," he went to the door and opening it spoke briefly to the guard outside "I've sent word to cancel everything today, I don't want to miss a word," James nodded as he came back in.

Emma looked so torn but she stepped back and shook her head "I would love too, I really would, but I have to find a way back. Henry is in danger, I can't, I won't leave him behind."

"Henry?" Snows eyes lit up "who's he?"

"He's my...he's," Emma floundered "he's your grandson."

"You have a family?" Snow said both happy and sad at the same time.

"He's all of my family," she said but unbidden the faces of Regina and Mr Mills came to mind.

"Where is he?" James asked concerned "how old is he?"

"He's ten and right now he's in Regina's castle-" Emma started to explain but both Snow and James flinched when she mentioned Regina.

"He's with that woman?" James snapped angrily.

"Have you been there the entire time?" Snow looked horrified by the thought.

"No," Emma reassured her "I was in a different world entirely. I've only been here for a few months and Regina isn't the problem, its Maleficent. She's the one that sent me here and has been after Henry all along. I have to get back to Regina's castle."

"Regina is always the problem," Snow growled "that woman is evil and if she's teamed up with Maleficent there's no telling what they're going to do to our grandson."

"Not if we can help it," James promised "our army is already on the move, we'll send orders for them to continue on to Regina's castle. We'll break it down stone by stone if we have too."

"Why is your army on the move?" Emma asked "Regina said it would take months to get from her kingdom to yours."

"They were on their way to Centre Point," James explained "for months all sorts of evil creatures have been gathering at the temples there. Its disturbing that so many vile things have formed an alliance. Its never happened before. We've had to join our forces with all the other good kingdoms. I had been wondering why Regina had stayed out of it. Its obvious now she had a different plan all along."

"No," Emma shook her head "Regina is a bitch and probably has an evil plan to screw with you guys using me," she bit her lip but felt absolutely resolute "but she wouldn't hurt Henry."

"Don't be a fool," James snapped his anger at Regina overwhelming his happiness at Emma's return for a second "that woman- whoa!" He pulled Emma behind him as the mirror behind her exploded.

Emma spun as a dark shadow fell out of the mirror and hit the floor. He eyes didn't even fully take in the sight before her body was rushing forward instinctively. "Regina!" Emma cried out panicked as she saw the knife in her back and the blood starting to pool around her. She dropped to her knees and pulled Regina into her arms careful of the knife "you have to help her!" She begged James and Snow who were standing there stunned. "Please! Get help!"

James and Snow shared a look having an entire conversation in a second before James stiffly nodded and ran to the door. "Shit, shit, shit," Emma mumbled pulling out the knife "I know, baby, I'm sorry," she said as Regina cried out. She pressed down on the wound because that was the only thing she remembered in the movies.

"...let...you go," Regina mumbled into Emma's chest and Emma only heard the last bit. "Yeah I know I went," Emma said "Maleficent tricked me."

"...Henry..." Regina coughed her eyes fluttering shut only to struggled open again.

"Don't you dare die," Emma ordered holding her so tight, almost like she could squeeze the life back into Regina, "We haven't settled things between us."

Regina's hand came up and cupped Emma's cheek and gave her a weak smile "...iss me..."

"What?" Emma asked trying to cover her tears but Regina didn't answer her closing her eyes with an air of finality.

"Regina!" Emma called and in her panic shook Regina which was probably the most unhelpful thing ever.

Snow grabbed her and pulled her away as another woman went to kneel by Regina's side. Her hands glowed and Emma turned into Snow Whites arms hiding her face.


	17. Chapter 17

"I can't tell if you'd be pleased or horrified by the fact that you're in Snows bed," Emma said as she pressed a damp cloth to Regina's head. She wasn't sick or running a fever but it was the only thing Emma knew to do when someone was not well. "You need to wake up, we have to go after Henry." _Please be okay._

"I've contacted my war council," James said coming into the room and closing the door softly. "You know she's the reason Snow won't let me have mirrors in the bedroom?"

Emma laughed "I never pictured the mistress of evil to be a voyeur."

James laughed too coming to stand beside the bed looking over Regina thoughtfully. "It's weird that we're joking like this right? I don't know how to act right now, I'm your dad but I don't know you, should I be telling you off for helping the enemy?"

Emma shrugged "if it helps I was never good with authority figures so I'd probably ignore it. I spent so long thinking my parent didn't want me...finding out all this, it's a little overwhelming."

"We always wanted you," James said firmly. It was the complete truth. "We still want you."

"Why didn't you have any other kids?" Emma asked.

James seemed to curl in on himself with sadness "we tried but we were both broken hearted. In the end we just wanted our baby back not a replacement."

Emma nodded and looked away. She didn't know how to handle all the emotions that were pounding through her right now. She pushed Regina's hair off her forehead.

"You did that stupid run," James said abruptly coming to sit at the end of the bed facing her.

"What?" Emma asked looking at him totally confused.

He squared his jaw in a familiar way and pushed on "the stupid run. Its the sort of odd jerky lunge you do without thinking when someone is in danger. The first time I did it I fell off a horse trying to reach your mother who was sleeping in a glass coffin..."

Emma regarded him warily and pulled back unconsciously straightening and backing away. "I don't know what you're getting at."

James raised his eyebrow at her "I'm not an idiot, I just need to know if you're being manipulated or not."

Emma snorted unexpectedly with bitter amusement "oh its safe to say I've definitely been manipulated but you don't need to worry."

"Really?" James said assessing her.

Emma nodded "my priority is Henry, I need to get back to her castle and find him. I was just about to say goodbye before I left."

"You will not leave without me," Regina said stirring and turning her head towards the noise. Her eyes were still closed tightly but she reached up and grabbed the cold cloth "that was giving me a terrible headache." She tossed it away accidentally or instinctively hitting James with the projectile.

James brushed it off and reached for his sword as he glared at Regina who was now pushing herself up.

"Whatever third rate enchanter cast the healing spell on me is an idiot," Regina groaned finally opening her eyes. She blinked and took in her surrounds before her gaze landed on James. Immediately her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. "Ah, it's curly sue himself."

"You are powerless and weak and so far from anything that passes as friend," James glared at her standing up "it's only my good nature that hasn't stopped me from settling old scores."

At the word friend Regina's eyes widened "Maleficent!" She hissed rolling off the side of the bed and staggering to her feat. It was the most ungraceful Emma had ever seen her and she stood up to help. Regina pushed passed them both "fetch me a mirror!" she demanded as she threw open the doors of James and Snow's bedroom.

Snow had been patiently waiting outside because no one trusted her in the room with a vulnerable Regina. As soon as the other woman came barrelling out issuing demands Snow spun on her pretty white heels and punched her in the face breaking her nose.

Regina went down with a thump already weak. Blood poured down her nose and mouth as she glared up from the floor.

"Now I see where I get the nose breaking thing from," Emma noted her eyebrows shooting up impressed.

"She's just lucky there were no rocks about," James grinned with obvious pride at his wife.

"You think I'll give you anything let alone a mirror!" Snow yelled standing over Regina her face flushing red with rage. "I'm going to end you!"

"Well dear," Regina said wiping away blood from her mouth as her eyes cut into Snow with just as much rage and hatred. Regina's was just better at repressing hers. "You did give me such a lovely gift already. You're daughter was just the thing my bedroom lacked."

It was hard to say who looked more appalled between Snow and Emma. Snow took a step back dropping her fist. She tilted her head to the side and glared at Emma "please tell me she raped you."

Emma floundered her mouth opening and shutting without sound. Snow cursed and threw her hands up before turning her back on them both.

"Seriously?" Emma asked Regina half tempted to kick her as she tried to get to her feet.

"Sorry," Regina muttered and for a fleeting moment genuine regret flashed across her face. "We don't have time for past grievances-"

"Ha!" Snow snapped whirling around to glare at Regina "easy for you to say!"

Regina actually hissed at Snow her face becoming snake like in her rage. "Fuck you both!" Emma said stepping in between them. "You can both go head to head after we get Henry back but until then I don't want to hear one word."

"Then bring me a mirror," Regina snapped. A mirror was brought by a servant at Snows nod. She glared at Regina the whole time "Mirror!" Regina called but the mirror didn't shift. She frowned and glared at it but sagged "I have as much magic as a tea cup!" She snapped looking like she was about to throw the mirror against the wall. She brought it back to her face "Mirror! I was afraid of this-she's smashed my mirror we are completely blind."

"What happened?" Emma demanded "what's Maleficent's plan?"

"I have no idea," Regina admitted through gritted teeth "I thought she wanted you this entire time. I was so blinded by my obsession that I completely missed her real motives."

"Sure you did," Snow mocked crossing her arms.

"I need to get out of here, if we can't travel through the mirror then I need a horse or something," Emma frowned looking at James. He shared a look with Snow.

"There is another way," James said turning his head towards Emma but his gaze was locked on his wife.

"James," Snow said warningly.

"What?" Emma said desperate,

"I mean it James, don't!" Snow snapped.

"She doesn't want to tell you because you'll need her," James jerked his head at Regina with a scowl. "But it will get you into her castle in a blink of an eye."

"Impossible," Regina snapped "my castle is impenetrable."

"Yeah well we thought nothing could come through our mirrors," Snow snapped back.

"That was different, that was the culmination of the complete magic of two powerful witches and even then it felt like being slammed through a brick wall," Regina glared "my castle is impenetrable, no one can teleport in or out of it except me and I can't even shift myself across the room let alone the country."

"Which is why she has to take you with her and why Snow doesn't want you to know that we have the ruby slippers," James said and Snow threw her hands up and turned away disgusted.

"Like Dorothy's magic shoes?" Emma said guessing from the widening of Regina's eyes that this was a good thing.

"I thought they were lost in another world?" Regina said her eyes gleaming with interest and opportunity.

"We found them on a quest, its how we can stay at our castle when our army is half way across the world" James said crossing the room to his wife's side he turned to her and they had a non verbal argument. "If you need them to save our grandson then I'm prepared to risk giving them to her."

"I need to get back to the castle and find out where Henry was taken," Emma looked pleadingly at Snow.

Snow took a deep breath and with one last look at James she nodded "I'll take you to our vault you can leave immediately from there."

"Thank you" Emma said unable to say anything better. Instead she just nodded.

"After we get someone to heal my nose?" Regina said still wiping away the blood.

"Suffer," Snow snapped shortly before turning on her heel and storming out.

"Lovely as ever," Regina glared after her.

"I still have to have my turn," Emma reminded her as she followed in her mothers footsteps.

"The apple did not fall far from the tree..." she heard Regina say behind her.

"Why not? You've had such good luck with apples in the past," James said laughed at her.

XxXx

The shoes were kept in the vault that was buried in the catacombs of the castle. The stone used to build the catacombs was yellow and their torch light made it a pale sickly colour that seemed to move in the flickering light. It was a little creepy and Emma was glad Snow kept a hold of her hand. They had to walk single file as the hallway was narrow but held many other entrances and twists and turns so it would have been easy to get lost.

"I never thought I'd see your revered treasure box," Regina smirked behind them as she eagerly examined the entombed bodies they passed.

"You should be blind folded," Snow growled.

"For you to leave me behind? I don't think so," Regina scoffed.

"We couldn't leave you behind," Emma rolled her eyes "we need you to get into the castle."

"Yes but I do not need to be in one piece for that," Regina sniffed "I would not put it passed the brat to break my nose again."

"I still might," Snow growled pulling Emma along faster.

Regina had to quicken her pace or be left behind without light. "Why didn't you fight back?" Emma asked curiously.

"Aside from being as weak as a kitten when she set upon me?" Regina raised her eyebrow she then smirked in a really irritating way and for the first time Emma realised they were actually having a conversation where she wasn't the weakest. "Emma dear, have you not wondered why I always used an intermediary to try and get rid of your mother? You see when I married into the family they put a spell on me. I cannot directly harm any member of the royal family no matter how much I may wish to."

"So you can't hit her or use magic on her? How come she was able to punch you?" Emma said looking back and forth. Snow was glaring while Regina smirked.

"The spell only goes one way, Snow can pound away to her hearts content while I am as helpless as a little lamb unable to stop her," Regina looked at Emma directly "I guess that makes you my big strong protector."

"You've used magic on me before," Emma said with a frown "and you tried to kill me the first time you saw me."

"No, I merely grabbed you, I would have killed you outright back then as soon as they said your name. My magic works so long as it is not designed to kill or wound you in anyway," Regina said intently "Even when I held you down in the bedroom I never had any intention of hurting you, I-"

Snow turned abruptly and lunged at Regina with a scowl. Emma interceded her and grabbed a hold of her in order to try and calm her down "you are a manipulating cow! Just because you can't hurt us directly doesn't mean you haven't done your best to ruin our lives indirectly!" Snow spat furious.

"Whoa!" Emma said struggling to keep hold of her mother "calm down! She only said that stuff to get a rise out of you!"

Snow stopped struggling and took a deep breath "you're right," she nodded "it would only make her happy."

"You have no idea what would make me happy," Regina said seeming both dark and disappointed. She glared at both of them with a sharp gaze before she turned her face away hiding it in shadows. "Neither of you do."

Something snapped in Emma and she pushed Snow away from her before rounding on Regina herself. The smack echoed all around the narrow passage way before being swallowed up by the dark. Regina's head snapped to one side causing her to take a step to the left. "Don't you dare talk to me about being happy!" Emma snapped her abused emotions finally exploding in frustration. "You lied to me and got me to believe in you! I trusted you and cared about you and it was all lies! It was all part of some stupid plan that blew up in your face because Maleficent got hers first. Because of you Henry is in danger! Because of you I feel like a weak helpless idiot! You've done nothing but lie and cheat and manipulate me-"

"-I LET YOU GO!" Regina yelled abruptly looking undignified as she whirled on a startled Emma. She shoved the other woman glaring at her fiercely her mouth twisting into a snarl "yes, I lied, I cheated and I manipulated you! I enjoyed every moment! I especially loved when we started fucking at your behest! I laughed at that, oh I really enjoyed you rutting against me with a desperate need. How damn pitiful!"

Emma felt like she had been punched. She squared her jaw but was to overcome with her own anger to control herself. She lashed out again and Regina's head snapped to the side but it didn't even slow the other woman. Her eyes came back gleaming as if she was shining with the intensity of her rage.

"You want to talk about happy?" Regina snarled "I should not have felt happy! I should not be able to feel anything! But there you were being pitiful, playing in the snow like a commoner, reading like a stumbling idiot mispronouncing half the words and blushing like a school girl! And I was happy! Then you were angry at me for no reason and spending so much time with Maleficent! I should have felt nothing! I should have continued with my plan with a clear head! I would have seen that she was back to her old scheming ways! I should have locked you away but instead I let you go!" Regina's voice was a ragged mess by the end of her tirade but she still looked murderous.

"You didn't let me go," Emma said softer and quieter drawing back from the mess of both their emotions echoing in the cramped space.

"Yes I did," Regina said with much less energy. She looked away "I saw you in the mirror, you looked...happy. So I let you go, I was going to send Henry to you, and I was letting you go."

Emma stared at her. She didn't sense a lie. The thought frightened her because if that was true what did all this mean? Her thoughts ran a million miles a minute and she could feel the judging eyes of a stunned Snow on her back. "You said it hurt coming through the mirror...and you were going to send Henry through that?" She asked numbly since it was the least charged question in her head.

Regina blinked then let out a startled laugh that held no humour, "the wards on the castle are similar to mine. They kept out evil not the royal family. He would have been fine."

"Oh, okay," Emma nodded still stunned and watching Regina warily.

"Come on," Snow said at last tugging her shoulder "we better get those shoes."

XxXx

The door to the vault was not a door at all but just a giant smooth wall. Touching it seemingly at random Snow pressed her palm firmly against the stone. It buckled and opened up to her moving out of the way to reveal a brightly lit marble chamber. Straight ahead of them was a pair of ruby slippers on a pedestal.

"Is that a magic carpet?" Emma asked as they walked inside. All around them where jewels and exotic items that looked well cared for.

"No, its an ugly rug that princess Jasmine gave me when she thought I was flirting with her husband," Snow grinned "I was, shamelessly."

Emma laughed "how did James take it?"

"When he wasn't drooling over the princess?" Snow raised her eyebrow with a smirk "he didn't like it."

"You being manipulative," Regina sneered "how shocking."

Snow glared at her but Emma bit her lip "can you give us a moment? We need to sort some things out before we leave."

Snow didn't look happy but she nodded anyway and turned her back walking further into the vault. Emma waited until she was out of sight before turning to Regina. "You're an ass," she said because that seemed the best place to start "but you said you let me go, that you were going to let Henry go...why?"

That seemed to be the last question on earth that Regina wanted to answer. She looked away her face closed and tense "we have no time to waste with questions."

"Okay then, tell me your big evil plan," Emma proposed instead "tell me how you planed to manipulate me into hurting Snow."

"I wanted you to be happy as my pet," Regina said answering the least evil of the questions "I wanted you and Henry to stay and be happy for me, but so much had happened and that became impossible," Regina looked back at her "when I saw you in the mirror, you were finally happy. I found that I wanted that more..."

Emma rocked back on her heels because she was stunned that she didn't sense even the smallest of lies. "Oh," she said because she had to say something to that confession.

"So," Regina visibly gathering herself together "you finally have your precious freedom, what will you do with it? What do you want?"

"To get Henry back," Emma didn't even pause to think about her answer.

"And after that?" Regina insisted.

After that Emma had the whole world to explore. She could continue to search for a way back or stay here and get to know the parents she had always wished for. The important thing was that she had the choice. But where did that leave Regina?

Regina was finally being honest with her and they were finally on equal ground. Did she want to try again with Regina? Would that be a betrayal of her new found family? After all that had happened did she trust or even forgive her for all the evil she had done?

"I don't know," Emma shook her head. It was as honest as she could be right now "has anything changed? Do you still want to be evil and hurt my family?"

"I am not evil, I am selfish, there is a difference or there would be if this world is capable of seeing beyond black and white." Regina snapped.

"Do you still want to hurt Snow?" Emma asked again.

"Yes, I greatly dislike her but if you made me chose between my hate for her and my-you," Regina stumbled over her words "I don't know who would win."

Emma gave a short laugh "well, I guess that's as much progress as we can hope for right now. Lets go get Henry and kick Maleficent's ass."

Regina gave her a wicked smile and it was refreshing to be included in it rather than on the receiving end. Regina snatched up the shoes and put them on holding out her hand to Emma. Snow came out from behind the golden statue that she had been listening behind. Emma didn't blame her she would have done the same thing.

"We are not saying goodbye," Snow said nodding determinedly "you're going to get our grandson back kick that witches ass."

Emma nodded "there's no place like home," Emma quoted with a grim smile as she grabbed Regina's hand.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: yes this was a pretty short update but in my defence I plan to update again either tomorrow or Tuesday. Its the day after St Paddy's day it's a miracle I even woke up. Stupid Mothers Day. I hope you all had a nice holiday or just nice general days if you don't celebrate either.

XxXx

Emma fell to her knee as her stomach retched violently. Regina caught her as she collapsed and lowered them both to the floor. Emma buried her face in her neck breathing harshly and trying to get away from the too bright room. She didn't think instant travel would ever be her favourite way to get anywhere. She would never again complain about the long wait at airports.

They seemed to be kneeling in broken glass and Emma shifted to try and get a look. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Mr Mills staring vacantly at her. Her hand came up to grip the back of Regina's head so she couldn't turn around.

"Regina I'm so sorry," She said dully gripping her tightly.

"What is it?" Regina tried to struggle out of her grip finally succeeding in turning around. Her eyes widened in horror "Father!"

Emma stayed on her knees, it was clear that the old man was dead. Her vision got cloudy but she blinked forcefully. Regina had no such issue, she openly wept over her fathers body taking it in her arms getting blood everywhere. For an insane moment Emma was reminded of how Snow cradled the Huntsman although her look of horror couldn't match Regina's one of total devastation.

The door burst open and men in bronze dragon shaped armour came into the room. Emma leapt to her feet and snatched up a sword from the dead body of another dragon guard. She launched into them glad to make someone else feel as bad as she did.

There was an ear shattering crash as long thorny vines broke through the window of the tower and surged straight passed Emma. They wrapped around the guards squeezing until their armour dented like cheap tin. The room was filled with screams until the vines twisted violently tearing them limb from limb their blood spraying everywhere like a horror movie. The vines retreated back through the window rearing up like so many thousands of snakes before surging downwards with murderous intent. Emma ran to what was left of the window, right now it just looked like a hole in the wall. Even the stones had been smashed or knocked from their mortar. It left the window like a gaping mouth with all its teeth missing.

"Regina..." Emma breathed both awed and terrified because no one else could be doing this.

Down below the castle looked like it had been infested with a nest of snakes. The forest had reared up over the walls turning any frantically fleeing or fighting bronze ant into a tiny red smudge. The castle shudder as the vines burst through windows and doors surging through the castle like a devastating flood unheeding of stone or architecture. They would not be denied. Like vicious arms the vines ploughed through the stone ripping it from its foundations to get at clusters of invading soldiers. The castle itself started to shake and Emma watched as the stables collapsed she could imagine the screaming of the horses. Henry would be devastated.

She was caught up in the terrible sight and only able to look away when their tower started to shake. Vines were wrapping around it like snakes slowly squeezing and crushing the walls. Emma whirled from the window to find Regina trembling the body of Mr Mills clutched tightly to her. It looked as if she had the very doorway to hell in her burning eyes. Her face was an inhumane snarl and blood slowly leaked from her ears and nose.

"Regina!" Emma yelled but the other woman didn't seem to hear her. She stumbled her way across the room as the earth shook and dust tumbled from the ceiling. "Regina! You have to stop!" She grabbed hold of the other woman by the shoulders at screamed in her face to no effect. "Shit, Regina, you're going to kill yourself!" She shook her violently trying to bring her back from the murderous rage that had taken hold of her.

When Regina's eyes finally looked at her it was with such hate and fury that Emma had never even thought possible. She didn't look away, not even for a second. "Regina," she said again softly her tight grip on the other woman's shoulders turning her knuckles white "you have to stop."

Over Regina's shoulder, through the broken jagged window, a thick vine reared up its pointed edge staring straight at Emma. It looked like a leviathan poised to swallow her whole. Emma clenched her jaw and moved one hand up to wipe away the blood dripping down Regina's face. Her hand shook uncontrollably and she flinched as the wooden beams of the ceiling cracked and stone started to collapse around them.

"Regina," she said her voice trembling without her permission "I'm so sorry for your loss...but you have to stop now. You have to stop. We need to find Henry...and I can't watch you hurt yourself anymore."

Regina just glared at her without a trace of recognition but then a tiny spark gleamed. It was so far away but grew brighter in her eyes clearing the murderous fog. The vine outside the window suddenly went limp and flopped out of view like a limb that had lost all its energy.

"Emma..." Regina said her tone broken with sorrow as her face crumbled like her castle and she wept against Emma's shoulder. Emma gripped onto her not in a hug but more like a lifeline. She could feel Mr Mills body between them and the blood still ooze out of Regina's ears and nose as she cried too.

They just sat there holding each other together.

XxXx

The castle was all but destroyed. It had seemed so foreboding and imposing the first time Emma had seen it. Now it was hard to believe it was anything other than an abandoned ruin. Vines were still wrapped around most of it as they were the only things keeping it together. They weren't moving or looking at all magical now. They looked like ordinary thorn bushes that had grew there after years of overgrowth.

"He deserved more than this," Regina said her voice breaking the silence of the courtyard. "He should have had a royal burial with a golden tomb, not a shallow grave dug by a worthless daughter."

Emma squeezed her shoulder "after this is all over we'll come back and give him the proper respect he deserves, but honestly don't you think he would have liked the simple tombstone more than an ornate tomb?"

Regina looked at her before closing her eyes and turning away "even in this you knew him better. You are right, he would not have like a lavish ceremony, he preferred the simpler things."

Emma immediately felt like at ass. The last thing she had wanted to do was insinuate that Regina didn't know her father at all. She was just trying to comfort her about the grave. The tombstone was more of a bit of wood with his name carved into it so they could find him later. They thought of just leaving him out in the open didn't sit well with either of them. "Regina I-"

Regina just held up her hand before walking away. The courtyard with littered with ivy and body parts. Most of the ivy was either stained in blotches of red of hid some of the blood. Bits of armour were strewn about like dented tin and the very few survivors lay either groaning or had fled. Regina had already found what looked to be a general of Maleficent's and loomed over his broken body. He was alive but not for long.

Emma wanted to run away because she didn't want to see anymore disgusting sights but she didn't want Regina to have to do endure them on her own. She gathered her new red trench coat and tried to stamp down her nausea. She had thrown up violently when she had passed her old room and found Silvia the Queens seamstress dead on the floor with two knives in her back. Laid out neatly and undisturbed on the bed was a brand new leather coat and Emma's old red leather jacket. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had given it to the older woman to fix.

The new coat was also red leather and reached to Emma's shin. It split down the middle perfect for riding and was padded to add a light layer of armour. The buttons were gold with tiny swans decorating them and it looked amazing. But it wasn't worth dying over. Emma vaguely remembered the Silvia telling her she had a daughter and that she actually live in town. Had it not been for the stupid coat Emma asked her to make she wouldn't have been at the castle today. She wouldn't be dead.

Most of Regina's servants and guards were killed with swords or arrows. They were probably already dead when they got here. There was a few still left as the vines had mostly ignored them but there were none of Maleficent's bronzed dragons that the vines hadn't torn to shreds or wounded so badly that they were in the process of a slow agonising death. Emma couldn't bring herself to care for them at the moment.

"Did you find out about Henry?" Emma asked as the general closed his eyes for the last time. The few of Regina's guards that survived had stayed away from the broken Queen recoiling in fear when she was near. Emma had ordered them to search the castle and most had taken it as an excuse to be far from Regina's sight and mind.

"Maleficent has taken the boy with her," Regina said standing up and pushing away from the general's body "they have also taken the 'Fairy Tale Anthology' and are moving south. I cannot even contact my forces to intercept her because she has smashed all the mirrors and ruined that enchantment. I'll have to start from scratch which is too time consuming to even contemplate," Regina hissed looked vexed. She seemed like she wanted to punch something.

"Does that mean Seymour is dead?" Emma asked startled.

"Who?" Regina snapped.

"The face in the mirror, his name is Seymour," Emma explained feeling tears prickling at the back of her eyes. She was getting far too worked up about a mirror but he had helped her. She felt like she had lost another friend.

"Are you mourning for my furniture?" Regina asked with scornful disbelief.

"He helped me," Emma defended herself weakly. Both Seymour and Mr Mills had been her first and only allies when she came into this world. And now they were dead. And it was her fault.

"He-it was my creation, it shouldn't have been able to do anything!" Regina snapped then visibly got a hold of her temper. "Maleficent has taken Henry south, she cannot use her magic since she poured it into the mirror and she would not risk endangering herself to cast more," like Regina had when she ordered the forest to come alive and avenge her. "She is out of our reach for now since we lack even a horse to pursue her."

"We should return to Snow," Emma said at last anxious to be away from here "she might have carrier pigeons or something so you can contact your army and we can find out where Maleficent is taking Henry and why. She was the one that sent Henry the book in the first place, if she took the book and him that must mean that she needs them together for some reason. She said she wasn't acting alone."

"She sent Henry the book?" Regina looked thoughtful "of course! That was why you ended up here on my road. If she had a plan to draw Henry to her then she must have cast a spell that would bring him and the book to where ever she was. Unfortunately she happened to be at my castle-"

"-Which no one can teleport into so we ended up as close as possible, the road," Emma finished solving one small mystery. It wasn't even nearly satisfying.

"Yes. If she is moving south my army is on the boarders to strengthen them against 'giant attacks' which is the guise Maleficent's forces used to get through in the first place," Regina growled. "If we send word they should surely be able to cut her off."

"She's working with Azzeazal," Emma said nearly spitting out the name.

Regina's eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted "that little worm of a man. Henry should have let me kill him outright. If he is with them he will know enough about where the garrison's are least manned so they could slip through the net, if they haven't already."

"They're heading south, isn't that where Snows forces are?" Emma asked remembering overhearing Regina at a meeting with her Generals "Snow said that they were moving to the centre because there's been a big evil team up of bad guys. Maleficent told me that she had others helping her. It stands to reason she's heading south to team up with them."

"Or it could all be a division to draw the eye while Maleficent sets off in another direction," Regina pointed out bleakly. She gave a sigh but looked at Emma with determination "whatever her plans I will not see them come to pass. First we must return to Snow she has resources that we need. I must also recover if I am to tear the little blond rat to pieces."

"Get in line," Emma threatened "no one hurts my Henry," she was going to kill anyone that had hurt Henry, she just had to find a way to kill a witch.

"That is a line I would not mind being in myself."

Emma turned quickly at the accented words "Ignacio!"

The weapons master was in a light suit of armour that Emma had never seen before. It was a deep royal blue with silver waves across the chest plate and legs. On the upper arms and forearms silver seagulls flew. Instead of chainmail the joints were tough leather. It was duellist armour light and made for fast movements. Ignacio stood there in the armour looking dashing with a rakish smile on his face.

"I'm so happy to see you!" She cried out and uncharacteristically threw herself into his arms. She hugged him with a desperate strength and he laughed into her hair. "You're hurt," she said pulling back noticing the nasty gash on his handsome cheek.

"Hurt? Psh!" Ignacio scoffed drawing back and idly running his thumb over what would sure to be a scar "I cut myself shaving as the castle came under attack. A man cannot face battle looking less than his best. How else am I to make the ladies swoon and dive into my arms?"

"I am so glad you're alive," Emma smiled widely glad of the respite from all the grief.

"I am ashamed to say that I could not prevent that witch from taking young master Henry," Ignacio frowned bowing his head "I was unaware of his kidnapping until the guards informed me moments ago. I only realised that my Mistress had left the castle when the invaders attacked and only suspected her return when the forest rained down its terrible retribution."

"The attack took us all by surprise," Regina came forward to stand beside Emma.

"My Queen," Ignacio knelt immediate "please tell me if there is any service I could provide you."

"We need to rescue Henry, I have to summon my army from the borders, there is nothing to do here," Regina frowned at her ruined castle looking around at the wounded and terrified guards. "You could stay here and regroup the men but what few that live will not be any condition to fight."

"We're going into battle," Emma pointed out "having a weapons master on our side would be useful."

"Fighting in your name would be an honour my Queen," Ignacio said looking up at them through his dark curls.

"Then rise weapons master and take my hand," Regina said grabbing hold of Emma's hand and holding the other out for Ignacio. She surveyed her ruined home once more before setting her face into a hard mask "we have revenge to reap."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: So sorry about the late update, real world is a bugger. It should start to really get going in the next few chapters as we're nearly near the end folks. Thanks again for all your wonderful support.

XxXx

Emma's knees buckled but she was able to hold in the contents of her stomach. She was glad to see that Ignacio was also on the floor fighting to keep his food inside. "It gets better the more you travel," Regina said sympathetically kneeling down and brushing Emma's hair out of her face.

"Emma!" Snow's voice cried out just before there were hands pulling her up straight. "What are your doing back so soon? Did you get Henry?"

"No, Maleficent attacked the castle, she took Henry and fled. We need to send word to Regina's men at the border. We think she's heading to the centre place that you said the other evil people were gathering," Emma explained swallowing heartily in order to stop throwing up.

"This isn't good," Snow frowned letting Emma go. They were in Snows parlour since Regina had already broken the spell that kept her out. Snow turned to Regina "we should travel to meet up with my army, you can use my blue jays to send your messages. After you give me back my shoes."

They all looked down at Regina's feet at the ruby slippers. Snow held her hand out but Regina stepped back "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"You damn double crossin-" Snow started her face filling with fury.

Regina just looked tired at she held up her hand "I can't give you the shoes because they're stuck on my feet. That's what happens when these shoes are put on a witch, they stick there."

"What?" Snow snapped "I've worn them hundreds of times, so has James! You don't need magic for them to work!"

That was a comical image that both disturbed and amused Emma. She just couldn't picture James, who seemed very many, in those bright red dolly shoes. Regina looked pale and worn and just sighed. She went over to a seat and wave at her feet "you are most welcome to try and take them off, but neither you nor James are in possession of an iota of magic so the shoes would not have stuck to you."

Snow frowned and moved to yank the shoe off. Ignacio intercepted her with a charming smile "please my lady, allow me to do this," he asked "I fear that if my mistresses temper gets the better of her and she kicks you then we will have a mini Armageddon on our hands."

"Like I will believe you," Snow scoffed.

"Ms Swan, can try after me," Ignacio nodded his head at Emma and Snow turned confused. Emma nodded back, it made sense that Snow wouldn't know her last name.

"They called you Swan?" Snow said softly with a smile temporarily distracted "I love birds."

"I picked it myself," Emma confessed "I like birds too and I wanted to be graceful," and they always seemed so sad. Snow reached for her hand, her eyes were slightly teary but it was obvious she was trying to force them away. "How do you take your hot chocolate?" Emma blurted out abruptly squeezing Snows hand.

They were interrupted by a grunt from Ignacio as he seemed to be putting his entire weight into dragging off the shoe. Regina gripped the arms of the chair and was glaring furiously under threat from being yanked from the seat. It was the most undignified Emma had ever seen her and she couldn't help laugh.

"Satisfied?" Regina glared as the shoe stayed firmly in place.

"You try," Snow nodded back to frowning.

Emma knelt down at Regina's feet and grabbed the shoe. She made the mistake of looking up into Regina's eyes and paused. She had looked pained ever since she had seen her fathers body but right now her grief seemed even deeper.

"This is the first time you have initiated contact with me since we stopped..." Regina said softly.

"I did hit you a few times after," Emma reminded her.

Regina smiled with small amusement at that "ah, yes, you did do that," she nodded still smiling. Her smile turned wicked "you remember that Cinderella story you read to me?"

Emma's face flushed and she immediately stood up. Being between Regina's knees as she remembered the steamy part of that story was not something she should be doing. Especially when she needed to rescue her Henry.

"You're back," James said as he entered the room. He enveloped Emma in a hug which let her hide her face until she got her blush under control. "I take it it didn't go well?"

"No," Snow frowned "we should meet up with our army. They should be in the general's tent planning the attack. If we hurry we can be part of the planning. James and I were supposed to be there already but since we gave you the shoes..."

"Why does she still have the shoes," James nodded to Regina.

"They're apparently stuck on her because they stick to witches," Snow glared seeming to say a lot more to James just through her tone.

"Which she probably knew they would but didn't tell us because we wouldn't have let her near them," James nodded "and now she's effectively stealing them."

"We could drop a house on her," Snow suggested. It seemed as if everyone in the room was forgotten as James and her only had eyes for each other.

"Oh that's good but a lot of trouble, how about after this is over we just cut off her feet? Or we could get someone to cast a spell to make the shoes dance until she dies," James smiled back.

"Hey!" Emma cut in they both turned to look at her with identical raised eyebrows "I know those shoes are powerful and Regina's a bitch but how about we focus on getting to the army that will save your grandson."

"You're right," James nodded he looked back at Snow White and they made a non verbal agreement. What ever they agreed it couldn't have been good for Regina judging by Snows placated expression. "Everyone hold hands and Regina think about that generals tent."

"Thank you," Regina said taking Emma's hand. No one else wanted to hold hers.

"Well, isn't having to wear those ugly shoes punishment enough?" Emma grinned.

XxXx

They appeared in the middle of a medieval festival or at least that was what it looked like to Emma after she stopped trying to puke her guts up. All around them where white tents with golden flags and knights in shining armour. It was practically blinding after so long in Regina's dark castle.

Regina went off with James to send her messages with Ignacio following dutifully. Emma followed Snow White to a tent that was bigger than her apartment. It was like a huge marquee that was put up for weddings. The centre of the tent was taken up by a huge map and the room was buzzing with servants running to and fro between planning dignitaries.

"Has there been any new developments?" Snow asked briskly walking in and commanding attention. It was actually rather cool how everyone automatically turned to her.

"They've repositioned their men. The bulk of the force is now surrounding the temples," the only man in full armour said his voice echoing of the closed metal helmet. The rest of those surrounding the table where in rich fabrics and clearly royalty or at least rich. "They shifted last night we don't know the reason, our spies have yet to return."

"We might have the reason why," Snow said stepping forward to study the map. She waved Emma over to it but before Emma reached the map a short man that only reached her chest barred her way. He was short and gruff with coarse thick hair and a stocky build. The fine tunic and breeches he wore fit him perfectly but still didn't look like they belonged. However his weather beaten boots that still had mud clinging to them and the axe he carried on his back along with the pick axe hanging at his waist looked like were extensions of himself.

"Who's this," he jerked his chin at Emma crossing his muscled arms as he seized her up and down. He didn't seem impressed.

"Grumpy this," Snow said with a smile coming around to side beside them both. She placed a hand on both of their scowling shoulders "is my daughter Emma."

They both looked at Snow White agog.

"He's a dwarf?"

"She's a princess?"

Snow snickered at their faces. They both turned to take a second look at the other. They still weren't impressed.

"Isn't he supposed to be smaller?" Emma asked Snow. Disney had so lied to her.

"Isn't she supposed to be pretty?" Grumpy shot back causing Emma to turn and glare at him.

"Aw, how cute," Snow smiled "you're getting along."

"Hardly," Emma snorted.

"I have one crazy chick in my life I don't need her spawn," Grumpy, well, grumped. "You sure she's your kid?"

"Definitely, a mother knows," Snow said giving Emma's shoulder a squeeze "besides the seeker fairy brought her to us. You know they can't be fooled."

Grumpy grumbled but stepped back letting Emma pass "I'm watching you," he warned.

"Just make sure its not my ass you're watching," Emma shot back in the same tone he used. His affronted expression was worth it.

"Snow I'm happy that you've got your daughter back, Cinderella will be ecstatic when I tell her," an uppity blond boy said looking barely old enough to drink "but we have a battle to plan. The change in formation means that they're up to something."

"Well deducted Prince Thomas," Snow said in a condescending tone "yes changing the position of an army does indeed point to the enemy being up to something. They're guarding the temple and I think the reason is because Maleficent is bringing my grandson there."

"Now you have a grandson?" Grumpy snapped "how big is this new family reunion girlie? Are we going to be reunited with a long lost sister or-"

"-Maybe a step mother," Thomas said dully stepping back from the table staring wide eyed at the entrance of the tent.

The all turned to see Regina in the door way sunlight bending around her as her cold face eyed them all impassively.

"Bitch!" Grumpy yelled and in a blink had his axe in hand and was charging Regina.

"Whoa there my good sir," Ignacio stepped out from behind Regina and without drawing his own sword disarmed Grumpy with a smile and a twirl. "If that is how you attack your allies then victory on the battle field is assured when you turn such ferocity on the enemy."

"Give me back my axe you fruity ass," Grumpy growled taking out his pick axe.

"See Ms Swan what did I tell you about axes and those that wield them?" Ignacio laughed then his eyes hardened for a split second and Grumpy's pick axe was on the ground at his feet before the end of the axe handle cracked him across the jaw. Grumpy was knocked off balance but turned his head back spitting like an angry bear. Emma knew that Ignacio hadn't went lightly on the other man and that blow would have broken the jaw of a normal man and sent him sprawling. "I think you have found your match in stubbornness my dear," Ignacio said again stepping back and lightly holding out the axe with a limp grip. "Now my good sir, you do well to temper your tantrum if only for the interim."

"Grumpy," Snow sighed finally intervening at last "it's okay, she's here to help," she nearly choked the words out. The eruption of disbelief from the rest of the room didn't help matters "it's true. Her and Emma are-it's long and complicated but Maleficent stabbed Regina in the back and now she's here for revenge."

"She's finally been bitten by the snakes she lays down with, how fitting," a woman with a red cloak said crossing her arms.

"What's to stop us killing her now? One less evil witch in the world," Thomas grumbled darkly eyeing Regina.

"I'll stop you," Emma growled placing her hands on the map and leaning forward "and anyone else that tries," she looked around the room "I don't know what Regina did to piss you off but it isn't even in the same league as what she's did to me and my family so that means that if anyone is going to kick her ass its me. Right now she's helping me get my-Henry back and if any of you get in the way of me getting him back I'll stop you."

"She's-" Thomas protested puffing himself up with indignation.

"-no longer your concern," Emma snapped. She pointed at Regina "that ass is mine!"

That got her a few odd looks and Snow pinched the bridge of her nose. Emma straightened up glaring "I didn't mean it like that," she waved at the table "now how about we talk about killing the people that have Henry?"

"Did I miss much?" James swept in pulling off his cloak and handing it to a nearby servant. He seemed totally immune to the tension in the room. He smiled at everyone and approached the table taking in the layout "i was talking to Little Boy Blue and he said the army has shifted. If that's the case then we might want to think about an aerial assault."

The room remained silent before the armoured man gave one last look at Regina before bending over the map again. "They fortunately don't have dragons but they do have some other vile creatures protecting the skies."

"I know Agilulf," Snow frowned "a crow nearly killed one of my blue birds."

"If they're all clustering around the temples then it's a safe bet that they don't want any of us getting inside," James frowned he shot Emma a wink which made her believe he wasn't as oblivious as he liked people to think "which is all the more reason for us to get in there."

"What's the temples they're surrounding," Emma frowned looking at the little wooden depiction of two temples back to back surrounded by little black pillars representing the enemy.

"Those are the centre temples," Regina spoke up finally. She had come to stand at Emma side and get a better look at the map. Her side of the table was almost deserted as people shied away. "In the middle of the world are two temples back to back with a bridging room. One represents good and the other evil. No one knows who built them or why they are here. The only thing that we know is that they each house a very powerful book."

Emma caught Regina's meaningful look "like that book that brought us here, 'the Fairy Tale Anthology.'"

"Yes, exactly," Regina nodded "the other temple keeps the 'the Nightmare Compendium,' which is the book that holds all the stories of my supposed side."

"And Maleficent took the book from your castle," Emma frowned thinking aloud "is that other book in the temple? You said that they were powerful and the fairy tale book keeps popping up."

"On their own they're nothing more than powerful histories, together in their temple they're still just powerful histories, but no one knows quite how they work-" Regina frown.

"-If anyone has figured out how they work then it would be Rumplestiltskin and Baba Yaga," a high pitch voice that was both sweet and annoying had them all turning. A blond in a pink dress gave Emma a flash back of Maleficent but it only lasted for a moment. This blond was petite with curls and plump rosy red cheeks. "My dear fellows, do not despair for it is I, Galinda the good," she spread her hands and gave them all a humble smile "I bring good news to lift your hearts! My dearest darlingist Elphaba and I have cleared the skies!"

"That's good," Snow said with a wide smile.

Emma shot a look at Regina to see if she could comprehend so much...pink. Regina's had a level look of contempt on her face that made Emma smile through her disbelief.

"So you actually got your flying monkeys to do something other than throw their own faeces?" James grinned at Galinda still hunched over the map.

"Posh," Galinda flicked her wrist dismissively "Elphie convinced them to turn it into projectile weapons. No nasty vulture or cockatrice will hunt our feathered friends now. Now, can anyone tell me why a hated enemy is in the room looking at our plans? No offense Regina my dear."

"She's with the fake blond with the jaw and boobs," Grumpy jerked his chin towards Emma "she's also Snows daughter, supposedly."

"There is nothing wrong with my jaw!" Emma snapped.

"It's a strong jaw," James defended her "just like her daddy's," sort off.

"How wonderful!" Galinda clapped her hands together "redeemed by the power of true love! I did much the same to my sweet Elphie."

"No, you didn't," Grumpy snorted picking out dirt from under his finger nails "you begged her to come back to you and-"

"-redeemed her through the power of true love," Galinda glared cutting across him shrilly. Grumpy didn't look at all impressed.

"More like the power of the truly desperate and-" Grumpy looked ready to start a fight.

"This is ridiculous!" Prince Thomas yelled "you're all taking this far too lightly!"

Everyone in the room started to yell and scream at each other creating a terrible cloud of obnoxious noise. Regina looked like she wished she could throw a lightning bolt but instead settled on slamming her hands hard on the table the loud thud cut across the chattering like a whip crack.

"It amazes me that this is the side that has managed time and again to thwart me. Truly, fate in this world is set in stone because it is the only way idiots like you could ever win," Regina hissed her voice barely above a whisper but everyone heard it "I have no love for you or this world. It can burn for all I care but there is a little boy that I have come to care about and he is in danger. Stop acting like children and be the Heroes you supposedly are!" Regina gave them all one last disgusted look before turning on her heel and storming out of the tent.

Emma didn't hesitate and followed after her. Regina didn't know the camp but stalked like she had purpose and direct. Many people gaped at her and stumbled out of her way. She marched until they got to a hastily erect paddock where the horses for the knights where kept. She scanned around the many white and golden horses and ignored them all before stalking off into the midst of them. Emma watched her go and push past horse after horse occasionally scaring a page boy. She really hated horses, they just looked out to get her. She took a deep breath and went after Regina.

She found Regina with her forehead pressed against the neck of a brown horse her arms softly stroking its flank and neck. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut and she seemed to be trying to drown out the world by concentrating on the horses heartbeat.

"Regina?" Emma said softly. She didn't look like she would welcome physical contact.

"My father is dead..." Regina didn't move or flinch. Her voice was dull and far away. "...my home is shattered, my only friend betrayed me and I will lose yet more..."

Emma honestly didn't know what to say to her. She didn't even know why she chased after her. It was just instinct. She reached out but her hand hovering uselessly, she wasn't brave enough to make contact.

"I had a horse once," Regina said softly seemingly at random "he was magnificent. Strong, obedient and trusted me completely. When I was lonely I would tell him my secrets and for hours i would ride alone in my forest, he was all the company I needed. Then I killed him, because I needed his heart and I kill all the good things in my life. The spell was supposed to give me my revenge and take away all my human failings. But if I can't feel then why does my heart hurt so...so..." and Regina's voice came to a guttural stop as her throat closed over.

It spurred Emma forward and she grabbed Regina turning her in her arms and pulling her into a hug. She didn't have the words to make everything better, she never really did but this time she wished she had. All she could do was hold on tight and try not to get caught up in the whirl wind that was threatening to over taker her. Losing Henry and Mr Mills even Seymour, suddenly being free, reuniting with her family and just all the confusing agony that was Regina, broken in pain and at once both the woman that had manipulated Emma and tried to keep her safe.

She didn't even have the words to comfort or explain this to herself.


	20. Chapter 20

"Your highness!" A few hours later a harried page boy ran up to them and it was with a start that Emma realised he was talking to her. "Queen Snow White is asking for you back at the tent they have received word from the evil Queen Regina's forces."

"Maleficent must be approaching one of the out posts," Regina pulled away roughly her face set in a grim line. Her eyes had died down from their previous puffy redness but it was still obvious she had been crying. Emma decided that for the good of them all she wouldn't mention it.

"Lets go," Emma nodded setting out at a run.

"Good, you're finally here," Snow said strapping on a sword belt. Around them there was a flurry of activity from the servants and page boys but all the top generals and planners had left. "One of my blue birds came back carrying a response from her captains," Snow jerked her chin towards Regina. She stopped suddenly eyeing Regina taking in her dishevelled appearance and red eyes. She glanced at Emma and then moved on quickly wisely deciding to ignore it for now at Emma's look.

"Maleficent passed one of your patrols on the south road near Dubrick," James said getting fitted for his own armour. "That means she's avoided your main force in the west and is heading south towards the temples."

"She still has to pass my border patrol," Regina said "I can send word and spring an ambush on her. No doubt she would think I would be incapacitated for longer and will think my guards are unaware of her changed status and let her go un-accosted."

"Maybe, but we have a better plan," James said his eyes hard and dangerous.

"We're going to teleport to the crossing and spring the ambush ourselves. We want to save the strength of the magical folk so we'll be using the shoes," Snow held out her hand and a page boy placed a gnarled twisted staff in it. It looked more like a very larch tree branch that was taller than she was. She crossed the tent and none to gently shoved it into Regina's chest. "That means that you're coming with us. You can finally prove yourself and see if you're trust worthy."

Regina's body absorbed the impact with a little grunt and she eyed the staff with distaste "I have seen better magical staffs carried by hedge witches."

"Let me just ask Merlin or Morganna if you can borrow their wands," Snow snorted "we also don't have armour for you but that won't be a problem since you prefer to fight from a distance or though other sneaky means."

"What about me?" Emma asked looking around "do you think I can get a sword or an axe from somewhere? I've never worn armour but my leather jacket should provide a little protection."

"You?" James said suddenly both he and Snow sharing alarmed looks.

"You're not coming," Snow said decisively.

"Like hell," Emma shot back.

"We're going to fight," James tried to be reasonable "people will die Emma and we don't want to lose you again. Axes and swords aren't toys. They're a lot harder to use than they seem."

"It's a bit more than stick the pointy end in the other person," Snow glared at her "you're not going."

"I can handle myself, I've been training," Emma glared and pushed away the thought that she sounded like a nagging teenager. "Henry is my responsibility. I promised I would keep him safe."

"You can't do that if you're dead!" James said losing his cool head.

"Emma is competent, trying to keep her from Henry's side is a suicidal undertaking no matter who endeavours to do so," Regina said.

"Like we're going to listen to you about the safety of our daughter!" Snow snapped finally at boiling point.

"If I may be so bold as to intervene in a matter argued so hotly by so many titled people," Ignacio stepped into the tent from his hiding place. Emma wondered where he had got too. "Emma has killed both a werewolf, a pied piper and an irate guard captain, she is quite capable of looking after herself. I will be by her side always if you so wish."

"You killed a werewolf?" James said impressed. He looked at Emma with new eyes.

"I'm tougher than I look," Emma said grimly "now get me a damn weapon."

James held her gaze a long moment before nodding to a page boy who ran off. Snow looked disgusted "James? No! No, this is a terrible idea! I'm against this!"

"Are you really going to stop a mother fighting for her child?" James said levelly.

Snow's rage crashed into the wall of his words and her face soaked up the fractured pieces in a bubbling mask of repressed anger. She gave James a livid look "if I have to lose her again..." she left the promise vague but certainly not empty as she scowled one last time and stormed out of the tent.

"I'm so sleeping on the floor tonight," James shook his head an easy smile on his face. He walked up to Emma and grabbed her shoulder "an axe isn't the weapon for a hero. When we get back I'll show you how to use a real sword." He gave it a comforting squeeze before following Snow.

"How are you going to fight when you can't even clean your face?" Emma asked Regina in the sudden heavy silence. "You can't use any magic," the carnage of the vines was still fresh in Emma's mind. As was Regina's contorting and bleeding form as the result.

"I have a big stick," Regina said grimly "I am sure something will come to me."

XxXx

Ignacio was buckling some light armour onto Emma. In truth the only things that they could find to fit her on such short notice was greaves and bracers. Anything else would have been too heavy for her. "Thank you for sticking up for me," Emma said as she watch Ignacio adjust her straps "it means a lot to me that you did that and that you didn't mention-"

"- the fact that you were terribly savage by the werewolf, had to be rescued from the piper and flattened by the guard captain?" Ignacio snorted "somehow I did not think that they would take comfort in those 'victories'. You are brave, dear girl, no one can deny you that, I only wish that you're thoughts moved as quickly as your temper. You have trained and fought well but this is real battle, you need more than spite and pride to win, although I shall not deny them their place on the battle field or the bedroom," Ignacio smiled the new scar on his face giving him a roguish quality. "I plan to stay by your side in at least one of those arenas and forgive me my cowardice dear girl but being your bedroom companion seems the more dangerous of the two options right now."

Emma laughed but quickly sobered as it attracted Snow White glowering attention. "I'll be fine," Emma said "but Regina has no magic, you have to protect her."

"She is my Queen," Ignacio said stepping back at last "my life is hers. But let us make a deal if I die today take my armour, it is pretty no? As such it deserves a pretty owner but you will have to do. If you die I take that lovely coat of yours. Red is not my preferred colour but I will make an exception."

Emma rolled her eyes in amusement but turned away "you can't rock the leather like I do," she said popping her collar with a smirk.

"Speaking of which," Ignacio said drawing out the compass that Mr Mills had given her. "I found this on the body of one of Maleficent's guards. I recognised it as my mistresses fathers but the guard was found dead in your room..."

"He gave it to me..." Emma said her throat closing over. She didn't remember the plain wooden compass being this heavy before. She fingered the wooden beads and tried not to think about the man who had given it to her. She didn't have time to cry.

"Are you ready?" Snow snapped coming forward with a quad of knights. James stood by her side and Emma shoved the compass deep into her pocket and prepared herself. "Why are you taking so few?" She asked.

"We're not sure how many the shoes can actually take and this is no time for experimenting. Regina's guards will be on the other side and should join us," Snow scowled "Galinda has decided to come along and provide magical support."

"I am highly insulted that you think that soap bubble will serve as a suitable watch dog for me," Regina sniffed. "This ridiculous stick or no, I can still best her with my eyes closed."

"True as that may be," Galinda practically floated into their view her puffy pink dress traded for pink leather pants and a white shirt with pink ribbons. She also had a midnight blue cloak over one arm her only concession to the stealthy nature of the ambush. "But since Snow told me how you burst through her mirror my little blonde head was abuzz of the hows and howforths of how you could have done that and still be in one piece. The conclusion I reached was most reassuring as to your ability to best me," Galinda tilted her head to the side and her bright blue eyes sparkled. Emma decided right then that she had had enough of magical blonds.

"I see," Regina said softly dangerously "but you know as well as I that a wounded beast may still have claws."

"Now why would you say that dearest? We're all on the same side," Galinda flicked her blonde curls before turning and bouncing off to hold Snows hand.

"She knows," Emma said and Regina nodded stiltedly beside her. "Why isn't she telling?"

"With Galinda it is as simple as the fact she enjoys being the one will all the gossip," Regina explained taking Emma's hand "tomorrow I should be back to working order but today, Galinda is enjoying having me at a disadvantage."

"Tomorrow? That's awful fast, you hurtled through that mirror like a bullet that must have taken some power," Emma frowned. "Not to mention the whole nearly killing yourself thing at the castle..."

"Evil is more resistant that good," Regina's mouth twisted downward at the word "full strength may be an exaggeration but I shall be fit for purpose. Unfortunately that also means that Maleficent will recover somewhat especially since she did not push herself like I did. We will do well to kill her now, whatever they have planned for Henry must require a lot of magic if they recruited Maleficent. Magical people tend not to do well in groups. That's why the powerful among us have kingdoms and the rest of you have free will. If we ever all came together no one would stand against us."

"But now all of the evil side is working together..." Emma didn't like where this was going.

"Something that has never happened before, evil is powerful and selfish but in this world always destined to be unhappy. Why bother uniting when you know you are fated to lose? Something has drawn them together, something strong enough to make them risk the natural order of this world," Regina cast her eyes around the camp filled with shining knights "they may walk around with puffed up chest and inflated sense of selves by why should the not? They have never lost. Good always wins..."

"Why don't you sound so sure of that?" Emma asked catching the fleeting uncertainty on Regina's face.

Regina opened her mouth to answer but was jerked away as James grabbed her hand "we can't waste anymore time, take us to Dubrick," he said sternly as Snow held onto his other hand creating a chain of knights and on the very end was Galinda. "Let's go get my grandson."

XxXx

Travelling this time wasn't as bad as before. Emma even managed to remain standing, Ignacio and the other four knights however knelt on the ground heaving. Emma would have had more sympathy for them except one of Regina's men came out of a stone tower.

The cross roads was a simple stone wall that stretched either side of a portcullis gate that was buffeted by two towers. Dubrick seemed to have grass that was almost yellow and plenty of hills. Emma could make out nothing but sheep beyond the gate. There didn't even seem to be a road on that side.

"My Queen," the guard looked unsure shooting a look to his friend before they both fell to their knees. He didn't seem to know which of them he should address.

"Guardsmen," Regina tilted her head "rise. How far off is Maleficent and what of her entourage."

"We got a birdie tweet 'bout an hour ago from one of our patrols," the guard that had spoken originally said standing up. He was more confident now that he knew who he had pledged his allegiance to. "Uh, my Queen," he added.

"Take off that stupid helmet," Emma snapped because those weird hedgehog helmets were vastly more annoying than frightening.

The soldier jumped in surprise and took it off automatically. His friend did the same. The speaker had close cut orange hair and now that the helmet was off it was clear he had seen more bar fights than a respectable guard should. His brunette friend looked just as thuggish.

"They said that Maleficent was at the Keepers waypoint so she should be here in the next two hours. There's a quad of scouts that ride ahead to clear the path and then there's the coach itself. Two more shits-ah beggin' your pardon my Queen- and two old ladies riding behind."

"Why isn't she travelling with an army?" Emma frowned.

"An army takes longer to move and she obviously needs to make haste," Regina answered but her mind was already planning.

"We plan to attack the Centre point tomorrow," James said rubbing his chin "that could be why she needs to hurry. It's obvious that they need the temples for something bad."

"And why can't she teleport or get someone to teleport her instead of risking the road?" Emma asked.

"Teleporting is a hard spell that very few know and can perform. Maleficent is drained and expected us halfway across the country, me weak as a kitten unable to use magic, she did not know about the ruby slippers. The road would have been safe with my army acting as her own escort against 'giant attacks'," Regina spat.

"The giants," Snow said abruptly slapping James on the chest as inspiration struck "we wondered why they hadn't joined the fight. They were serving as a distraction for Regina's army. Quick, what was your exact orders to your men?"

"I told them to protect the borders..." Regina said and Emma was happy to see that she seemed just as confused and annoyed as she was.

"But not to engage," Snow nodded looking meaningfully at James. "The borders of my land-her land, stop at the mountains. That's where her men would be garrisoned but if she told them not to engage that still leaves the giants Cuchulainn's pass which leads-"

"-into the Mixed Forrest!" James finished alarmed.

"We have to warn the others!" Snow said looking torn.

"Can someone explain this before Maleficent shows up?" Emma snapped irritated.

"The Mixed Forrest leads to Centre Point," James said "if the giants get through there they would be able to flank our army."

"It's a perfect pincer movement," Snow shook her head "we need to warn the others and change plans."

"It will mean we can't do a full assault at the temples," James said frustrated "we will have to divert men to counter giants."

"Do you think we could get Jack to lead them?" Snow said.

"Stop!" Regina held up a palm. "You," she pointed at the silent brunette "go get me a pigeon," he looked scared but ran to do as he was told. "My army is already stationed in the mountains. They shall keep the giants from out flanking you. Divert no resources. If this fails I want nothing to weaken Henry's rescue."

"We should trap her on this side of the gate," Emma said while Snow eyed Regina contemplatively "it should give us a better chance."

"If she gets beyond here it's a straight road to Centre Point," Snow agreed grimly "but she'll be suspicious if the gate doesn't open for her."

"We need to cause a distraction," James said.

"With all due respect and whatnot," the red haired guard said shifting uncomfortably "but sheep wagons tend to break down all the time, cause's a terrible ruckus if we don't have the men to move it. Its easy enough to recreate."

"Well done," James clapped the man on the shoulder "what's your name?"

"Rodderick," the guard and after a pause added "sire."

"Good, take my men and find a large wagon, make sure it breaks down right in front of the gate, it should also add to fortification. We're going to need some sheep to make it believable," James frowned.

"All the sheep are out there," Rodderick jerked his chin beyond the gate "I can wrangle up a Sheppard and a dog to get a few but it will take me a while."

"Don't worry," James said tilting his head with a charming smile "I'll deal with the sheep. I do have a talent for it. Snow I'll leave the rest of the plan to you."

"As always dear," Snow smiled and they shared a quick kiss.

"If you insist my lord," Rodderick said sceptically but followed James as he swept away.

XxXx

"Open the gate Queen Maleficent is passing through," the soldier said opening his dragon visor to call to the gate guard. He was the leader of the scouting party. The other three sat back on their horses watched the road warily.

"You blind? The gate's blocked," Regina's guard Rodderick spat before jerking his head toward the broken cart in front of it.

"Get it shifted," the man on horseback growled "my queen is coming through here and she doesn't plan to stop in this piss hole."

"What? Did I suddenly get the strength of Hercules?" Roderrick sneered "you want that cart moved then get off your high horse and do it yourself."

"You little worm," The solider lashed out with a bull whip but Roderrick was fast and flinched away from the barred window and the whip missed. "If I had the luxury of time I would cut out your tongue."

"You're still going to be awhile unless you move the cart," Roderrick jeered from inside the stone hut. "You fat shit."

"What did you call me?" The officer raged swinging down off his horse his men doing the same. As soon as they hit the ground James sprung the attack from his hiding place in the cart. He impaled the officer through his throat quickly before heading off to the next scout. Ignacio emerged camouflaged dugout to cut off the scouts from behind. The other two Knights made quick work of the scouts and their horses where grabbed and settled down.

"Quickly, grab their cloaks and helmets," James ordered already putting on the dragon helm. The rest of them pulled the dead scouts out of the way. Ignacio and the other two knights busied themselves getting dressed and swinging themselves up on the horses.

No sooner had everyone got back into position than the carriage rounded the bend. The unicorns where powerful beasts eight in all and they easily ate up the ground at a terrifying rate. The horses the soldiers were riding were outright galloping to keep up. James made a big show of yelling at Rodderick who did his best to look frantic and apologetic. It didn't come naturally to the skinny man.

"What the hell is the hold up?" one of Maleficents soldiers drew level with James. He didn't even have time to scream as James turned and took his head off. He charged into the knot of guards with a cry.

They burst from their hiding places like a flood unleashed. Emma made straight for the carriage but had to jump back as a horse reared in front of her. She just managed to avoid a downward swing of a sword before slamming her axe into the armoured leg of the rider. He screamed as the axe cut straight through and into his leg. She pulled him off his horse and let the terrified animal trample him to death as she rushed passed.

Snow was fighting one of the men that had been unhorsed. He was twice her seize but she nimbly avoided his blows stepping around him gracefully. She reminded Emma off Ignacio the way she didn't so much as fight but dance.

"Emma!"

The little voice cut across the screams of the fight and Emma looked up to see Henry at the window of the carriage trying to climb out. One of the guards defending the carriage punched him in the face and he fell back inside. Emma saw red and charged.

A hag stepped out from behind the coach with a wicked looking knife. She cut the air with long arched movements and they were all thrown off their feet. The gate shuddered as the carriage started to move again as the driver got the unicorns under control. The hag cut the air again and the gate trembled as an unseen force battered it. She managed to send a fireball to burn the wood before the ground swallowed her up and crushed her completely in a tomb of earth.

Emma got to her feet and out of the corner of her eye she noticed Galinda reeling back covering her face as a soldiers dragon like armour gleamed as he was about to strike her again. Regina rammed the ugly staff into the side of his head sending him reeling. It gave Galinda enough time to recover and the man exploded.

Emma jumped to the side instinctively as she saw a flash of grey. The soldier followed up with a kick that she blocked with her axe. He reared back bring his sword in front of him keeping between her and the carriage. She could see it starting to pick up speed as the driver urged it onward straight down the middle of the fighting.

She didn't have time for this!

She growled but the heavily armoured man didn't seem at all impressed. She swung with her axe and when he parried with his sword she brought the other straight down on his shoulder. It glanced off the armour and she had to jump back at his counter swing.

Then he suddenly wasn't there anymore as James tackled him from the side clearing her way. She spared a moment to check that he was okay. He had ripped off the dragon helm and was punching the man viscously and repeatedly as his hand felt for his sword.

Emma ran towards the charging carriage. "Henry!" She yelled desperately leaping to the side to catch one of the gilded light holders. She barely managed to hold on her legs dangling dangerously near the furiously turning front wheel. Just at the side of the light sat the driver he turned his whip on her and she flinched trying to shield herself with the light. The glass shattered at the crack of the whip hitting her directly in the side of the face a she turned away to avoid the shower. Her feet couldn't find purchase and she resorted to swinging blindly with her axe at the driver. She hoped she would either hit him or get it embedded in the wood.

The thundering of the unicorns sent shockwaves through the carriage that made it harder to hold on. The axe hit something solid and there was a loud scream. It didn't move when Emma tugged it and she kicked off against the side of the carriage in a desperate lunge. She managed to pull herself up on the seat just managing to avoid getting kicked by a unicorn. The axe head had bit deep into the wood of the seat and the drivers upper thigh.

He was screaming in agony trying to work the axe head free. Emma snatched up his whip and smacked him in the face with it before roughly grabbing him and knocking him out by slamming his head against the wood. She was nearly thrown off the carriage as it jolted but grabbed the axe handle to steady herself.

"Emma look out!" Snow screamed as they rushed passed.

Emma turned to see the unicorns drive straight at the burning gate. She fell back on the seat and threw her hands up to protect her face as hot flames whipped passed her. The unicorns crunched straight through the wood and the carriage rocked violently from side to side as it was dragged through and out on to the other side.

"Nice try Ms Swan..."

Emma looked up to see a dark figure on top of the roof of the carriage. She barely had time to shield herself before a boot impacted hard into her chest. She lost her footing on the shaky carriage and fell off just managing to avoid the wheels as they whizzed past.

She lay gasping for breath on her back her chest on fire. She pushed herself to her feet staggering slightly. Azzezeal waved at her from the top of the carriage as she wheezed.

"Emma!"

She turned to see Snow galloping towards her her hand outstretched. Emma didn't think twice as she lunged for the hand and was pulled up on the back of the horse. They galloped after the carriage but the animal was already tired and carrying twice the weight and Emma watched as the carriage pulled further and further away from them as the horse slowed.

Snow eventually pulled up on the reins and the horse stopped nearly collapsing, its flanks slick with sweat as they pounded in any out like a drum. Emma staggered off and tried to follow the carriage desperately on foot but fell. She watched as it disappeared over a hill taking her hope with it.

XxXx

They arrived back at camp in sullen silence. The Knights that survived went to get their wounds tended. Emma didn't even know how many of their side was killed. She honestly didn't care right now. Snow broke away from the others and crossed to Emma's side.

"Emma..." Snow said her voice filled with so much meaning and shared pain.

But it wasn't shared pain. She hadn't known Henry, she didn't know he liked cinnamon on his hot chocolate or that he loved animals or that his favourite colour was blue. She couldn't possible know how Emma felt right now. How much she had lost, how much she had let him down- "don't talk to me!" She snapped her empty hands clenched "why did you stop? You should have kept going!"

"Emma..." Snow tried to reach out to her but she didn't want to feel it.

"Emma you're face is bleeding," Snow said softly reaching out with concern her eyes far too soft and understanding. Emma didn't want understanding. She didn't deserve it.

Emma slapped the hand away "I don't care about my stupid face!"

"Emma..." Snow tried to reach out again.

"No!" Emma jerked away aware that everyone was watching her. Regina hovered off to the side watching everything. "No! Stop looking at me like that! You don't know how I'm feeling! You don't know what it's like-!"

"-To lose a child?" Snow bellowed back suddenly lashing out her eyes flaring. She yelled straight into Emma's face.

Emma drew up short at the sudden vehemence. Snow looked enraged but more than that she looked destroyed. There was a gaping pain in her that Emma had never seen before. "Don't you dare tell me I don't know what its like to have a child taken from you! I know!" She backed away pointing at herself her movement jerky with emotion "I know! I've lived it! And I've lived with it for a lot longer than you have! So don't presume to tell me...!" Snow's voice cracked and she turned away stalking off only to come back again just as quickly. Without warning she lashed out and smacked Emma in the jaw knocking her to the floor. Snow gave her one last scowl showing off her clenched teeth in a snarl before turning and walking away.

Emma rubbed her jaw and watched her go. "I usually go for the nose..." she hung her head and waited for the area to clear.

Eventually she was aware of someone standing over her. She looked up to find Regina extending her hand. Emma took the offer to get on her feet. "I'm a jackass," she said and Regina gave her a wan smile of full agreement. She didn't resist as Regina pulled her away from the crowd and into a tent. The tent was small and only had a single cot bed and a table with medical supplies.

"Henry was so close and I let him slip away," Emma stared at her hands dully. She wasn't a hero, she was still just a seventeen year old in way over her head.

Regina sat her down on the edge of the cot bed and tilted her face up and gently ran a damp cloth over it to clear the blood. She then began to pick out the glass with a set of tweezers. "What happens now?" Emma asked dreading the answer.

"Now," Regina said softly still gently prying out the broken glass "Maleficent will arrive at the temple after midnight and just before dawn we will attack the temple and rescue Henry."

"Why just before dawn what's stopping her from just..." Emma couldn't finish the thought. She hissed as Regina cleaned the many little cuts on her face.

"Magic can only be preformed in the temples in the in between hours, midnight and twilight," Regina explained "he will be safe until then."

"Tell me what your plan was?" Emma asked and maybe because she looked so small and defeated Regina actually told her.

Regina paused stroking around the many little cuts on Emma's face before finally letting her hand drop. Emma looked up at her and she knew she couldn't have made a pretty picture. Curls limp with sweat and dirt and face poc marked with open cuts but Regina just gave her a small smile.

"It was a magnificent plan," Regina praised herself unrepentantly her eyes glimmering with her own self importance "it would have been a sight to watch over and over again," she sighed and looked away "I struck the deal with you to keep you docile, if you believed I would actually let you go it would make you more inclined to trust me. I needed you to trust me for this to work. My acting skills are nothing to be sneered at, even as a peasant I could get anything I wanted with the right script in play. While I needed you to trust me I did not expect you to actually come to like or befriend me..."

"I did a little more than befriend you," Emma raised her eyebrow and surprisingly Regina blushed.

"Yes, you did," she cleared her throat and fought her blush before continuing on "as time went on I began to watch you and Henry. At first I was concerned about the affect you where having on my father and I needed to assess how much faith in me you had. The first few weeks at my castle we did not interact at all and then the day in the snow came..."

Regina had a small smile that she was probably unaware off as her eyes seemed a little unfocused. Emma didn't expect the recap of events, she didn't actually expect Regina to be honest with her but now that she was she couldn't bring herself to interrupt or hurry her along.

"You invited me to play and I was mortified thought I hid it well. What a fool I thought you were playing in the snow like a child and then you hit me with a snowball and revenge took precedent over such thoughts," Regina laughed "and over time you became more friendly more foolish, Henry became a light in an otherwise dark castle. My father has not-had not," her voice tripped but she continued on "been that happy in a long time and to my shock I found myself also less hollow. Then it all went downhill went you accosted me at my desk."

"Hey!" Emma swatted her stomach lightly with the back of her hand offended.

Regina just smiled "it was true, you rushed us into sex and then your emotional issues had you much more on guard. I had to tred carefully to avoid you becoming suspicious which did not help when Maleficent arrived. But you know what happened then, the trust I worked so hard to build was gone and my plan with it. By the end I was just trying to hold on to some part of you," Regina looked dark for a moment with shadows in her eyes despite the light in the room. For the first time Emma felt like those shadows weren't meant to threaten or conceal anything from her. They were directed inwards at Regina "I am certain that I would have ruined you both had I won..."

Emma took her hand but Regina didn't come closer. "You still haven't explained what your plan was."

Regina blinked startled the shadows disappearing. She seemed to be scanning over her words in surprise "oh, it seems so long ago since I desired it. I forgot I had not explained," she frowned "my plan was simple. You wanted to go home to your world with Henry, I knew of no other way to send you other than the curse. I was simply going to cast the curse again."

"Thats it?" Emma said not impressed.

Regina looked affronted "what do you mean is that it? It was a magnificent plan," she calmed down "in order to cast the spell I would have required a heart. For so long my world centred on Snow and making her suffer but even the pleasure of that faded into an aching hollow. I felt nothing for so long, I thought, if only I could kill Snow, then I would feel something. After I gained your trust I would have told you that the heart I needed was that of a mothers cut out by her child. That would mean that either you would cut out Snow White's heart or Henry would cut out yours. I knew you well enough that you would not inflict such horror on a child and would take the task upon yourself. Even if you did not I would have some satisfaction of telling Snow that her daughter is dead," Regina looked away her whole body turning towards the door "so, there. That was my evil plan...I am truly the witch they call me."

"What changed?" Emma asked dully still absorbing the confession.

Regina looked like she didn't want to answer but did anyway "I started to feel. Small things at first, until I was consumed by the desire to posses you and Henry. Keep you as my own forever. Lock you away in my castle to please me whenever I wanted. Neither of you would have lack for anything, except your freedom. But surely a golden prison was better than the freedom to starve? That's what I told myself. And then you did escape, and you looked happy in your family's arms. I have never seen you look happy like that..." Regina looked deeply pained at the confession her dark eyes open in ways Emma had never seen before "...and I had to let you go..."

Emma didn't sense a lie.

"...I have to let you be happy..." Regina said mournfully as she turned her limp grip slipping out of Emma's grasp and stunned Emma let her go.

XxXx

A/N: so this chapter is a more 'normal' size if you guys noticed. I hope to finish in about the next four, if only I would stop adding things and convincing myself that these new scenes are vital. I've been writing this for ages it feels like ages, Regina's redemption has taken some of the bite out of the character, much needed but not so fun to write. As such I wrote a story filled with lots of dark, manipulating and distrustful love which I hope to have up soon. Jaggerbox kindly offered to edit for me so I don't embarrass myself. I hope you guys would also check that story out and let me know what you think when I get it posted.

I also love Galinda/Elphie madly and I tried to avoid putting them in but I think I have a weakness for blonde witches in pink.

Again you guys are amazing for supporting this story and I hope that you'll hang in a little longer as we finally get to the end of this (long drawn out I'm sure) fic.


	21. Chapter 21

"Let go off me," Henry struggled as Azzeazal dragged him from the cart his hands tied in front of him. He tried to stomp on the other man's toes but was shaken roughly for his efforts.

"Let him go," Maleficent said lightly stepping out of the carriage herself.

Azzeazal looked confused but did as he was ordered. Once free Henry leapt away and turned to glare at Maleficent who was fixing her curls in the shiny side of the carriage tilting the unbroken carriage light to get a better look. "Go ahead little boy, run away," Maleficent continued with an airy tone "where are you going to go? Straight passed the minotaur, or the hags and crones? There is also the werewolves to get passed. They like nothing more than little boy flesh. Oh and the nasty men of ill repute. They won't eat you but you also won't be able to run after they're through with you."

Henry looked around and the darkness seemed to shift and leer, like one malevolent mass. Further away there where a scattering of fires that had mostly human shapes around them. Crossing the flickering firelight Henry could see vague shapes of bulls and wolves and other nightmarish things that only stayed in the light long enough to terrify him before disappearing. He clenched his jaw against the fear. Emma wouldn't be afraid.

"Face it Henry dear, right now I'm your best option," Maleficent smile vastly amused. "Now come along or I'll leave you behind," she promised sweeping away up the steps of a giant temple.

Henry hurried to catch up his neck craned back as the imposing building loomed over him. It was a large square building with a flat roof with sharp spikes at its edges. There were three tiers of stairs that led up to a tiny doorway. He expected a building this size to have huge double doors but instead it was a single doorway not much bigger than his bedroom door. There was a slab of dark obsidian that seemed to absorb all life around it. Maleficent pressed her hand to the rock and shuddered.

"Cold," She said before stepping back as the door dissolved into shadow. She pressed Henry through first and he stumbled inside crying out as the unexpected light hit his eyes.

The room was a simple dark chamber that dully reflected smeared images of those in the room. The room was big nearly the size of the giant temple itself. There were no columns or posts in the middle of the room to take up space. The only things in it was an altar at the very back just before another door, a squat little throne pressed against the far right wall and pressed against the far left wall was a simple book stand where a thick purple book sat open its pages a lighter black than the deep dull walls.

"Where are we?" Henry asked and his voice seemed to fall flat in the hall as the stones absorbed the sound.

"This is the temple of doom and gloom," an incongruously cheery voice said.

Henry jerked away as a man appeared bending over his shoulder. His skin was a sickly green flecked with gold and he had scars and ugly lumps on his face with sharp little eyes and a wide pointed smile and chin. He danced in front of Henry and preformed a mocking bow bending at the waist and sweeping his ankles with a flourish. "I am Rumplestiltskin, pleased to finally make your acquaintance prince Henry."

Henry stepped away so he could see Maleficent and Rumplestiltskin without needing to turn his head. Azzeazal stayed by the door crossing his arms. Mr Mills had warned him about Rumplestiltskin.

"We've gone through a lot of trouble to bring you back home Henry," Rumplestiltskin said with an exaggerated frown "surely you should be happy? I mean you have no idea that we're going to gut you and string you up like a pig."

"What?" Henry stepped back from the manic that was grinning at him. He could feel the colour leave his face as he became very dizzy.

"Oh yes!" Rumplestiltskin said cheerily grabbing Henry's bound hands with long point fingers with dirty nails. He dragged Henry without any effort across the room as Henry's struggles and protests didn't even register in his spindly arms. He threw Henry against the foot of the dark altar before squatting down and placing one hand at his head he leaned placing his face against Henry's. His previously squeaky voice turned deep as the smile fell from his face leaving only his tiny sharp teeth to gape at him. "You see Henry, you're going to be a hero. A heroic sacrifice but a hero none the less. Do you know what you are Henry?"

"I'm just a kid," Henry whimpered and pressed his back against the altar to try and get as far away as possible.

"Oh no, you're much more than that," Rumplestiltskin whispered to him with his deep voice "you're a mix of this world and that other world you come from. In this world of fairy tales everything is black and white. Good wins Evil looses and some live happily ever after. In that other world, they have a thing called reality. Where people live both good and bad and no one gets a happy ever after but everyone gets a chance at happiness."

"What are you talking about?" Henry spluttered as Rumplestiltskin's other hand thumped against his stomach to stop him squirming away.

"You're a mix of that world and ours. Around you the natural laws of this world don't function quite right. Evil doesn't have to be bad, unstoppable spells are stopped, servants can defy their masters and Good doesn't always win, put simply Henry my boy," Rumplestiltskin stroked Henry's hair eyeing him with a deep hunger "you're the grey in a black and white world."

"Here in the centre of the world, with the books of Good and Evil, at the time of twilight and with a child of your blood, we too can break the laws of this world," the voice came from a wizened old woman and was there was a harsh scratch of stone against stone along the floor of the temple as an old woman rode inside a pester jar. Around her shoulders was slung the still bleeding fur of a deer. The head was pulled over her grey hair and the antlers of the horrified glassy eyes of the deer protruded from her forehead like horns. She stepped out of the giant mortar bowl and seemed to stoop making her claw like hands trail across the floor like a primitive beast.

"Baba Yaga..." Henry breathed remembering the old woman from the mirror. He had thought the name was silly but there was nothing silly about the feral woman that hunched down beside him.

She grabbed his cheek and sniffed his hair before letting out a spine chilling cackle. "My girl finally came through, haha, Rumplestiltskin pouted and pranced when I decided to bring her back into the fold. But look how she arrives victoriously like I predicted," the old woman wheezed with amusement as she turned her face to gaze at Maleficent who stood back.

"Of course teacher," Maleficent answered her eyes down cast "how could I ever dare to disappoint you?"

"You always where my favourite," The wizened old woman smacked her lips together as her sharp eyes gouged at Maleficent. "What happened to my other student?"

"Dead," Maleficent said flatly with her head bowed "just like you told me to do."

"You smashed her mirrors," the old woman's voice held a hard accusation and Henry watched as Maleficent flinched. "You know I liked to look at them too."

"I-I had to make sure that-" Maleficent stumbled.

"-that I didn't see you spare both her and the bitch that birthed this boy," the old woman said sharply turning back towards Henry her sharp claws making indents in his face "I taught the girl everything she knows but I did not teach her even a tenth of what I know," Baba hissed at Henry and he trembled flinching as the blood from the deer pelt dripped down to splash against his hand.

"You know they plan to attack this night?" Rumplestiltskin said getting to his feet and his voice back to its squeaky merriment. "Lets string the boy up and prepare him. We should do it in the connecting chamber. You, wolf man thing," Rumplestiltskin clicked his fingers at Azzeazal who jumped to obey "be a good sport and string the boy up would you? Thanks ever so much."

"Why are you doing this?" Henry cried as Azzeazal snatched him up and flung him over his shoulders without any effort.

"Because we all want our happy ever afters," Rumplestiltskin said standing up straight his voice deep and bitter.

XxXx

Emma stared at the exit of the tent long after Regina left. She was still trying to absorb everything when James popped his head into the tent with a grin. She blinked and stood up.

"Hey baby girl," he said with way to much familiarity "you can't sleep either?"

"Ah, no," Emma shook her head. She hadn't noticed that it was dark.

"Come on then," he grinned and disappeared behind the curtain.

Curious Emma followed him. He led them to an area next to the paddock with the horses. It was flat and the earth well packed from many pounding feet and hooves. He threw her a wooden sword and gave her a shield. It looked silver and like the traditional heroes shield.

"I'm going to teach you a few moves," James grinned picking up his own sword and shield.

"I've tried this before," Emma said tested the weight of the sword. The balance was different from her axes, lighter and more fluid. "Did it look like I needed taught how to kill today?" She asked darkly. It wasn't enough to save Henry.

James faltered looking down but with renewed determination he hefted his shield "no but it did look like you need to learn to defend yourself. You were reckless today."

Emma snorted because how often had she heard that? "Henry was in danger and I..." couldn't save him. She couldn't say it out loud so she looked away.

"No, you can't," James said "not on your own. You don't have to be on your own anymore Emma."

She looked up and didn't know what to think. James was standing there in his finery fidgeting with a wooden sword and shield looking awkward but he was still there. She wasn't used to that but if Mr Mills had taught her anything it was that it was okay to be a trusting fool once in awhile.

"I have to go it alone, old men like you can't keep up," she offered with a slight smile.

"Old men eh?" James grinned bring his sword to bear. "We'll see about that."

She sparred with him and honestly it was awkward changing her fighting style but at least she could actually hold and use the shield now. She remembered at the start it had felt like a ton weight. She managed to surprise James with a few tricks Ignacio taught her but he always managed to recover and spring back. She would love to see him and her old weapons master spar it.

"How's that for an old man?" He huffed as they stopped to splash water on their faces.

"Not bad, so are we going to get to the real sparring soon?" Emma asked but in truth her muscles were burning and she had only just managed to get her breath back.

"Why don't you two save some for the battle later?"

The both turned to see Snow White hovering at the imaginary edge of their sparring ring. She offered them a weak smile and Emma shot a look at James. His eyes were soft and encouraging "you're right, I think I'll retire to bed now," he said giving her shoulder a squeeze as he passed. He kissed Snow on the cheek and nudged her forward slightly.

"I'm sorry," Emma blurted out fiddling with the water skin "what I said earlier-"

"It's okay, I shouldn't have hit you," Snow said coming closer "my temper gets the better of me sometimes and-"

"-you lash out," Emma finished with a grin "now I know where I get that from. I usually go for the nose."

"You can knock people out if you hit them just right on the jaw," Snow offered her thumb circling her ring finger nervously.

"If anyone spoke about Henry that way I wouldn't have stopped at just one punch," Emma said sincerely.

"I just want this to work," Snow said dropping her hands looking resolved. "I just want us to work. I've waited so long to get you back and I can't wait to learn all about you but I know I'm rushing things and trying to get you to feel-"

"-what do you want to know?" Emma cut in making a show of sitting down to show she wasn't going anywhere.

"Where you happy? Did you have parents in that other world? A family? A lover?" Snow asked in a rush her cheeks flushing as she knelt down facing Emma.

"I was happy sometimes," Emma offered although she had to think hard about specifics "I had a lot of foster parents. Somewhere good, some weren't," and she looked away shuddering. Snow looked distressed at that and took her hand. Emma tried to give her a happy smile "as for family and a lover, I had Henry although I didn't raise him but now he's my whole family."

"And a lover?" Snow asked with a small sad smile.

"Not in that world no..." Emma hesitated looking straight at Snow who tightly shut her eyes as she absorbed this.

"That is a little much for me I'll be honest," Snow said taking a deep breath "I'm not sure if I can accept you being with the woman that's been my biggest tormentor..."

"...She's not like that with me," Emma said slightly helpless. She didn't have the right to defend Regina to this woman but she could offer an explanation.

"She hasn't tried to use you and manipulate you?" Snow asked looking at her steadily.

Emma couldn't lie straight to her face and she shifted uncomfortably. "Well..." She said looking away "she promised not to do it again." It was implied anyway.

Snow snorted.

"I know this situation isn't ideal and honestly I don't know if Regina is in my future yet, alls I know is that Henry needs me. I have to save him and after that well then there will be time to sort this all out," Emma said as honestly as she could.

Snow gave her a soft smile and took her hand urging them both to their feet "we will have time because good always wins and hopefully you'll come to your senses," she gave Emma a soft push towards her tent "no matter what you decide, we will still be here, we've already spent to long apart and I don't plan to let you go over something like this."

"Thanks," Emma coughed her throat closing over slightly as she looked away. She fought the urge to fiddle with her jacket.

"Now go to bed, we have a long day ahead," Snow commanded shooing her off.

"Yeah mom," Emma rolled her eyes saying it to tease but they both froze as her poor choice of words caught up to them.

"Goodnight," Snow said awkwardly biting her lip trying to keep her happiness subdued.

Emma just nodded and slinked away feeling both awkward and pleased.

XxXx

Emma was getting ready for bed having decided to take over the tent Regina had fixed her up earlier. She was told that there was a big royal tent sat up for her but that it was halfway across the camp and she honestly was too tired to walk there. The narrow little cot bed that had the thinnest mattress ever would do. She was just about to flop back and sleep when the tent flaps opened.

Regina stood there in a black leather pants and a shirt with a high starched collar that looked like the fringe of some kind of dinosaur. She had on a cape of black netting and her hair was twisted up in curls around her head. Emma blinked, obviously she hadn't been planning on sleeping the last few hours before the fight.

"Emma..." she said her face grim and determined as she stepped fully into the tent.

Emma blinked dully at her. Her muscles were tired from the beatings she had taken and were spitefully burning because she didn't have a huge bath to soak them in like they had become accustomed to.

"Here!" Regina snapped throwing back her cloak and shoving something at her.

She fumbled with the items nearly dropping one and it took her a moment to realise they where the ruby slippers. She looked down at Regina's dark boots with a stupid sized heel. "I thought you said that they couldn't be taken off?"

"I lied," Regina said shortly giving her an irritated flick.

"Shocking," Emma muttered holding the shoes. She raised her eyebrow waiting on Regina to either explain, get out or come to bed.

"Keep them, use them to get Henry and you to safety," Regina said still looking grim "These can take you anywhere you want to go as long as you know the way."

"What?" Emma stared down at the shoes with renewed interest.

"Snow did not know where I had sent you or she would have used them to bring you home. Now you can use them to go back to that other world with Henry," Regina explained with a sad little smile "even if you chose to stay if you keep the shoes you have the choice to leave whenever you like. You can-"

Emma surged up and if Regina didn't have that kissing rule she would have kissed the life out of her. Instead she hugged her tightly and nearly smacking herself in the eye with that high collar. She pulled back and kissed Regina's cheeks then her forehead and she was about to dip her head and kiss her neck when Regina's hand cupped the back of her head and drew her up.

Confused Emma stopped but Regina's eyes where intense looking deep into her. She tiled her head and Emma mirrored her. It caused the other woman's lips to quirk in a smile and she deliberately darted her eyes down to Emma's lips and back up.

Emma suddenly realised what was going to happen and took in a breath of surprise. Her body tingled as her muscles called a cease fire due to this new exciting development just in time for her lips to go haywire. She was super aware of all the tingling nerves in them and as Regina drew closer her eyes fluttered shut.

"I can't," Emma said turning her head away at the last moment. Regina drew her head back but didn't move to step away which Emma was glad for. She brought her hands up to cup Emma's cheek.

"Why not?" she asked.

"You said you only kiss people you love," Emma said taking a deep breath feeling confused and nervous "I'm not sure if I love you. After everything that's happened, there's fault on both our sides and you've been so wonderful recently but I'm not sure if I'm in love love with you. I want the first time we kiss to be honest. I want to love you like you deserve to be loved."

Regina actually blushed and looked away "I see."

"Don't be mad," Emma said tightening her arms around Regina as she attempted to move away,

"I am not mad," Regina said slowly looking away her eyes hidden "the fact that you are seriously giving us a chance...?" She shook her head "no, I am far from mad. However if you keep holding me like this I don't think I could stop myself..."

"Then don't," Emma said kissing her neck "we don't need to kiss to do this."

Regina seemed to hesitate before giving in "I was never one for morals especially if they deprived me of something I wanted," she said at last unleashing her lust as she ripped open Emma's shirt. Emma grinned as she turned them around and pushed Regina to the floor of the tent because the bed was too far and too small and there weren't any real walls in the stupid tent.

"You couldn't have worn a dress?" Emma growled pawing and tugging at the leather pants that refused to come off.

"Notice how I am not complaining about your lack of a shower after sparring," Regina snapped with no real venom as she squeeze Emma's ass through her pants.

"You like me sweaty," Emma grinned as she finally tugged the leather to Regina's ankles where they were trapped by her boots.

"I like to make you sweaty," Regina corrected pulling Emma up by her ass to settle her on her naked thigh. Her hands came up to grab Emma's breasts as she kissed her jaw and began to squeeze. Emma couldn't help herself and started to rock against Regina's thigh. She moved her knee to give Regina a little friction. She wasn't wet yet but she was hot and pulsing and the combination of everything made Emma groan.

"I've dreamt about your mouth," Regina said her voice dark and husky as she tangled one hand in Emma's hair and holding her head still as she continued to nip at her jaw and sooth with her tongue.

"There's easier ways to ask me to go down on you..." Emma laughed breathlessly and Regina pinched her nipple in punishment. Her breasts were getting that wonderful full heavy feeling that tingled anytime her nipples were touched. It caused a hot pool in her groin that pulled at her clit mercilessly.

"That is not what I meant," Regina rolled her eyes.

"Tough," Emma growled freeing Regina's hand from her hair and swinging off her thigh showing more will power than she thought she had. She knelt between Regina's open thighs and tugged at the ties of her top. The ridiculous high collar lost its starched edge as Emma opened the top to reveal Regina's small wonderful breasts. She had missed those.

Regina without prompting reached up to play with her own breasts staring straight at Emma the entire time. Emma's gaze was hooded as she kissed her way down Regina's thighs never taking her eyes of those teasing fingers that pluck at the hard peaks purposefully.

Her mouth reached its goal and Regina's hands faltered. Now Regina was wet. That smell, the taste, Emma groaned as Regina began to rock into her mouth. She felt a hand tightly grip her hair and she reached up to stop Regina from giving her a bald spot. It was too soon for her to directly go after Regina's clit so she used her mouth to tease as her fingers gave in to the desperate rocking and thrust inside Regina roughly.

Emma couldn't say when the rhythm changed, her mind unable to form whole thoughts, but it did change. Regina's rocking became less desperate and Emma was groaning into her shoulder instead of between her thighs. Regina's hand had slipped down to where Emma needed it most and they're rocking became a slow luxurious grind as they both tried to please the other.

When Emma came just a split second after Regina she felt it all the way down to her toes. She rolled off the other woman and lay on her back. She just wanted to draw her knees up and curl into herself she was so contented.

"Emma...," Regina's voice broke the nice quite.

"Hhmm?" Emma acknowledged her with the sound. Words were still a little beyond her at this point. She closed her eyes.

"I will not say the words because I do not want you to say them back out of obligation," Regina cleared her throat. She sounded much to put together for Emma's ego. Emma could barely form words after their make-up sex and Regina was talking in whole sentences. That just wasn't going to fly. "But I care for you beyond measure."

"That's nice," Emma patted Regina's shoulder limply. As soon as she had some sleep she would work on making Regina speechless.

"Nice?" Regina scowled and shoved her shoulder hard.

Emma was startled out of her sex haze "what?"

"I confess my love for you and your only response is 'that's nice?'" Regina sat up and struggled to pull up her leather trousers. "You are insufferable."

"You didn't say you love me. Remember the thing you said about obligations and not wanting to pressure me into saying it?" Emma reminded Regina. "Hey, don't leave!"

"I am not leaving," Regina glared standing up "I am a Queen, I refuse to sleep in the dirt. I'm going to that poor excuse for a bed," she nodded to the small cot in the corner of the tent. "As brutish as you are I have entered into this relationship with full knowledge of your less than amazing way with words. I will not leave because you have said something stupid. If I were to do that we would never spend any time together."

Emma smiled and sat up. She tilted her head to the side as she watched Regina huffily sit on the edge of the cot. "Relationship?"

"Of course," Regina sniffed but seemed unsure "you might not love me yet but it is only a matter of time."

Emma laughed and crawled over to the cot. She placed her hands on Regina's thighs and kissed her knees. Instinctively Regina's legs parted slightly but Emma was too tired to take advantage of that. "I care for you deeply," Emma said trying to imitate Regina's serious tone and failing. Regina scowled at her and swatted her head. "Is there room for one more on that bed?"

"No," Regina shifted "but we shall make do."

"Regina?"Emma's asked later. Her voice sounded small in the dark as she lay in Regina's arms unable to sleep.

"Yes?"

"We're going to win tomorrow right? I can't lose Henry."

"You will not lose anyone, good always wins here. You'll see."

Emma nodded but still worried. She had never thought of herself as good before but Henry needed her. She wouldn't just be good. She would be great.

XxXx

The connecting room was half the size of the dark temple's great hall which was still pretty big. The room was cut in half right down the middle. Half the room had the same dull black stone of the dark temple and the other half had polished white stone that while bright didn't reflect anything. In the middle was a stone table also cut diametrically half white and half black. Henry stood on the table his feet shackled to either side and his arms strung up to the ceiling.

Azzeazal strutted into the room an oily smile on his pointy face. "The witch is busy with teaching Maleficent some manners and Rumplestiltskin is overseeing the army...that leaves just you and me little master."

Henry tensed his jaw and tried to look brave. Azzeazal saw this and laughed shaking his head as he let his dark cloak drop to the floor. His tunic, boots, breeches, gloves and waistcoat were all black and not one inch of skin appeared below his neck. It was the first time Henry had seen Azzeazal without the Queen's spiky helmet and he was surprised to see how long his dark hair was. It reached just past his shoulders and he had it tied in a bow with a dark ribbon but tendrils fell out framing his face. It looked oddly feminine and intimidating.

"Ah, but I don't have to call you little master anymore do I?" Azzeazal chuckled coming closer to the alter. He trailed his gloved finger tips around the edges as he idly made his way towards Henry. "Henry," he said his name slowly deliberately as he reached up and pressed his hands flat against Henry's stomach.

Henry tried to flinch away and shuffled towards the white side of the altar since Azzeazal kept on the black side. He couldn't go far because of the restraints. And his arms burned from being stretched over his head. "Emma is going to come for me and kick your ass," Henry glared.

Azzeazal laughed watching Henry try to shuffle across to the other side of the room. "Oh I count on it," his dark eyes gleamed with a hunger that Henry couldn't really understand. He just knew he didn't like it. "I have a score to settle with your mother and I'm starting to think that I might take some advance revenge," he purred his eyes narrowing as his smile grew fat and lazy on his pointed face. His gloved hand twitched against Henry's stomach feeling large and threatening but too long and sharp to be fully human.

"Get away from me!" Henry snapped trying to lash out with his foot but the shackle cut into him stopping his movements. He tried to lean as far away as possible towards the white side of the room.

Azzeazal just laughed "normally someone like me could never cross to the light side," he smiled before lightly hopping onto the table facing Henry his body touching both sides of the stone. "But you my little boy," he leaned in whispering his eyes flashing with a dangerous hunger "you ruing all good things," Henry lashed out trying to head but the man but Azzeazal was too fast. He yanked Henry's head back with a firm grip on his hair. "They told me to get you ready, they meant change you into your robe but as I said I intend to get a little more revenge."

"Emma is going to save me and kill you," Henry promised him. His body was shaking uncontrollably as Azzeazal just laughed at him.

Henry yelled as his hair was yanked but Azzeazal's looming presence wasn't there anymore. He flew halfway across the room to smack against the dark stone with a bone crushing crack. Azzeazal flopped down like a ragdoll coughing blood from his mouth and sagging to his side as he gasped from breath.

"Remove yourself from my sight," Maleficent's face like a distasteful scowl as she lent heavily on the door her normally immaculate curls sagging limply out of shape as the vibrant purple dress that she had worn that day was in tattered rags.

"Mistress," Azzeazal's startled wheedling voice called out as he back away scrambling for his cloak and his life. "Mistress, I thought you were busy with your tu-"

"You have ten seconds to get out of my sight and count yourself lucky that I'm still a little weak," Maleficent growled "if you step foot in this temple again before the time is up then I will beat you to death magic or no."

Azzeazal sent Henry a look of loathing and for a moment looked like he might actually argue with Maleficent but self preservation kicked in and he took his chance to leave.

Maleficent limped to the altar and Henry could see many blood streaks all over her. The graze on her cheek that Mr Mills had put there as a warning was much deeper and freshly opened and now came with a matching twin on the other side. Blood stained her cheeks like thick red horizontal waterfalls only recently stopped. She looked terrible.

Henry eyed her warily both because of the state she was in and the fact that she was Maleficent. "What happened to you?" He said. He didn't want to thank her even though he felt relieved Azzeazal was gone.

Maleficent gave him an exhausted quirk of her lips that couldn't pass for her normal smirk or grin. "We all pay our prices for happy ever after," she said leaning on the altar heavily. Her bare forearm had nail marks all over it and just below the bend in her arm was a jagged horizontal cut that was still oozing blood. Henry stared at it intently. Maleficent noticed and tried to cover it up "this is supposed to help me get my magic back quicker."

"I can't see how that would help anyone do anything," Henry said with a frown.

She leant down with significant effort and picked up a bundle of cloth from the floor dropping it at Henry's feet. "Don't try to run," Maleficent warned him as she flicked the shackles and they clicked loose. Henry fell on all fours relieved to be down. He rubbed life back into his arms while Maleficent waited. "I will be so pissed if you make me run or cast any spells."

Henry frowned at her but sat on the side of the altar beside her his legs dangling over the side. He weighed his chances of running but wasn't hopeful. Even if he did get passed Maleficent he remembered all that waited for him in the dark. He shuddered and tuned away as Maleficent threw the cloth at him.

"You can change yourself right?" She said tiredly looking at the floor exhausted.

"Why do I have to change?" Henry asked gripping the fabric unsettled at the notion.

Maleficent shrugged "I have no idea they just want you too."

"Can I keep my clothes on?" Henry said in a small voice.

Maleficent stared at him before looking away "sure kid," she sighed "after that ratbag...sure. Just put the robe over the top and take off your shoes and socks so they think that's all you're wearing."

Henry nodded and did what he was told pulling on the robe first before pulling off the trousers. He flexed his toes and rubbed his feet together for warmth. "You killed Mr Mills..." he said because that was the only thing he could think off when he looked at Maleficent. He had tried not to cry when they were in the carriage together but he couldn't help it. She had let him cry a little before slapping him to get him to shut up.

"Yeah..." Maleficent sighed again lifting her bowed head "I'm real sorry about that. He was a decent sort. I wish that could have happened differently."

Henry nodded and they sat in silence together until he spoke again "you're going to kill me..." his voice trembled slightly.

"Yes," Maleficent nodded without hesitation staring at the far wall of the temple.

"So why did you help me with Azzeazal then?" He asked confused.

"Because I know what its like to be small when someone big wants something..." Maleficent glared turning her broken and bloody face towards Henry "I didn't do it to be kind, I just needed to stop a bully and be big myself for a bit. Besides we're already going to kill you we don't have to torture you as well."

"Oh," Henry acknowledged letting the silence hang. He grabbed his sock and wrapped the clean bit around Maleficent's bleeding forearm. A small puddle of blood slowly collected around her hand as she was leaning on the altar. She looked down before quirking her eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Emma is going to kick your ass," he said as an explanation "no use in torturing you as well."

Maleficent gave a wet laugh then winced "I'll leave the cuffs off if you promise not to run."

"I won't promise," Henry shook his head and Maleficent gave another laugh before pushing off the altar.

"I'll leave them off anyway," she tossed over her shoulder with one of her old grins. "After all, better the devil you know..."

XxXx

A/N: If I was the type to name my chapters I would have called this one 'so does this answer some of your questions?' Sorry for the wait I had planned to get this up sooner but became sick. Good news though, I've wrote another Swan Queen fic called 'Grooming' which is up as well. Its different in tone but I hope you guys like it all the same.


	22. Chapter 22

"What the hell are they?" Emma recoiled in disgust.

"They're griffons," Snow said letting the lead eagle head nuzzle her hand. There were five in all stomping and clawing at the ground their sharp beady eyes judging Emma. She couldn't even stand to be around horses and they didn't have razor like talons.

"Why are they saddled?" Emma said with a low pull of dread in her stomach.

"The plan is to fly straight to the temple while the army invades," James said coming forward with an open breast plate in his hands. "Here this should fit you."

"I've never worn armour," Emma said but let James put it on her anyway. It was surprisingly light and she could still have her long leather coat over it.

"It's enchanted," James said as he did up the buckles. He was in his own polished steel armour and looked every inch the fairytale hero. "It will deflect most magic...for a bit."

"That's good because I plan to kick the crap out of Maleficent," Emma growled patting the armour like an old friend.

"You will have to get in line," Regina said coming to stand near the griffon beside Emma's "It is surprised that you managed to get the griffons to agree. They have little love for humans and even less for human affairs."

"I have a gift with birds," Snow white said frostily. "They are actually the reason that we were at the palace that day instead of with our army. I needed to contact the great Eagles and ask them to send their cousins to our aid."

"Their slower dull witted cousins," Regina mocked testing the saddle on her griffon.

"You don't have to come," Snow snapped her cheeks flushing. Her own armour was more like Ignacio's built lightly and loose around the joints in order to manuvur.

"I doubt your charming smile would be enough to stop magical fire," Regina smirked and Snow puffed herself up.

"Okay!" Emma cut in. She had used the distraction of the fight to store the ruby slippers in the saddle bag of her griffon but it looked like they were about to come to blows "we don't have time for this." She gripped Regina's elbow and shot her a look that clearly meant _knock it off_.

Regina grimaced but turned away to make the last of her preparations. "Don't worry about flying," James said coming to stand beside her "there's no reins so you want to grip on to the thick feathers at the neck and with your legs. Di'nar knows what he's doing and where he's going."

"Dinner?" Emma frowned eyeing the crafty looking beast with distrust.

"Di'nar, that's his name," James said with a smile patting the griffons neck. The overgrown bird lion thing let him. It was still eyeing Emma sceptically.

"Snow and I will be ahead of you the whole time so just follow us," James said giving her shoulder a squeeze. A page boy ran up to him to show him a scroll and he nodded grimly "everyone is ready, the attack will start soon. Stay safe," he ordered her seriously.

"You waste your breath sire," Ignacio snorted on his way to his own griffon.

Emma glared at the weapons master before giving James a reassuring nod before she turned away to face the griffon. They looked at each other both not thinking much of the other. Emma took a deep breath and checked the axes at her side once more. Still there. "Okay bird," Emma started "I need you to get me to Henry. I might not like animals and you might not like me but I need you and nothing is going to stop me from rescuing the kid, you got that?"

The griffon eyed her before snorting and turning his head away. It ruffled its wings and Emma stepped back to avoid being hit but he settled down and she gripped the saddle and swung herself up. That was a lot higher than she expected.

"Hey!"

Di'ner jerked his head around at the harsh sound and Emma yelped as she was nearly thrown off. She gripped the birds feathers tightly and tried to control her rebelling stomach. She could do this. This was for Henry. Why the hell was the bird so tall?

"Grumpy?" Snow called turning her own griffon effortlessly. She looked right at home on the beast in her armour. She looked like a warrior queen. Emma just hoped she didn't looked like she was going to be sick.

"What the hell, Snow?" Grumpy growled stalking forward in his own shiny armour and well worn boots. He craned his neck back to glare up at Snow showing no fear of the evil beast she was on. "I thought we talked about you running off to fight without us?"

"Grumpy, I can't ask the others to-"

"-Shut it!" Grumpy snapped "did I suddenly grow a set of breasts? No. Unlike the rest of you women I have an argument only once. I'm going that's it. The other's are holding the line but I'm going with you Snow, that's how it works."

"Grumpy," Snow gave him a small meaningful smile.

"Move your ass," Grumpy glared holding out his hand. Snow reached down without further argument and pulled him up behind her. Emma was glad to see he looked a little green when he realised how tall these birds are.

"They're really close," Emma smiled at James who was rolling his eyes.

"Close? I'm surprised I don't wake up to him on the other side of my bed," James sighed half joking "you have no idea what he and his friends did to me on my bachelor party. Honestly," James shook his head a small affectionate smile on his face "she always attracts the worst stalkers." He shot Regina a pointed look before grinning at Emma and moving his griffon up beside his wife.

Emma pointedly ignored the meaning of that look and surveyed the battle field. She could see the men gathering in the dark their armour only waiting for the first rays of dawn to make them shine like heroes. The lines of men went on forever and she could see various generals marching up and down. Galinda gave her a wave where she stood next to a sullen green woman who was talking to a squad of monkeys.

"We will probably get separated when the true fighting starts," Regina said atop her own griffon "but rest assured that I will allow no harm to come to myself."

Emma laughed "just yourself?"

"It is a promise that I wish you would be able to give me," Regina said with a glare "but you would only be lying and we have agreed not to do that anymore."

"How is your magic?" Emma asked with a frown "have you recovered much?"

"I have recovered enough for the purpose of destroying Maleficent," Regina answered back her eyes hard "even as we speak my army is holding off the giants. I expect many casualties and I plan to make her feel every life that she has robbed me off." She looked away obviously think about her dad and her castle.

Emma wanted to pat her hand or do something but she couldn't reach across the space "we'll make her pay," she promised.

Regina nodded just as the horns blared cutting across the chatter of the night. The army filed out thousands of feet marching in unison towards the dark. Ahead of her James and Snows griffons flapped their wings and took off into the air.

Grumpy yelped like a surprised dog and Emma didn't even have time to enjoy that as she shrieked when Di'ner did the same. The wings on either side of her beat furiously against gravity and her stomach lurched as she got a death grip on the griffon. He squawked with her unappreciative of her tight hold. She couldn't bring herself to loosen it especially when she looked down and saw the might of the army below.

Various shapes in shining armour marched as the sky started to lighten. They looked like ants and seemed to cover the vast valley just before the jungle where the temples sat deeply entrenched. Already dark shadows and an army of beasts surrounded the forests edge looming just as large as the good army. Above the treetops Emma could make out the flat roofs of the temples and imagined that they must be huge to peek out over the enormous trees.

Emma was going to be sick. She had never flown well and that was first class in an aeroplane. Flying by griffon was worse than being at sea in a high storm but she needed to do this. She wouldn't fail Henry again.

The treetops erupted in a dark cloud that swarmed towards them. Emma distantly heard squawking before the cloud was upon them. She let go with one hand as she felt painful pecks at her neck. The cloud was actually dark birds and no matter how many Di'ner snapped and clawed at, jerking Emma with every motion, he couldn't stop them from harrying her. They nipped at her fingers to get her to let go and struck at her face to get to her eyes.

The beating of wings struck her head and neck and her swatting did nothing to alleviate it. She could only hear the angry squawking of the vicious little bastards as she furiously swung at them. One needle like peck pierced her hand enough to make her let go. She screamed as Di'ner jerked and she was nearly unseated. Suddenly something dropped onto the griffon behind her and she turned using her hand to protect her eyes from the vicious beaks. She screamed again as a monkey looked like it was about to punch her. Instead it snatched a bird from the side of her head and broke its neck.

The monkey let out an outraged yell and started to beat and snap at the birds using the dead body of the bird in its hand like a club. Two more moneys flew either side of her fending off the birds. They had great big leather wings that looked like they belong to a bat. Emma felt exhilarated at the previously impenetrable dark cloud of birds started to give way under the monkey's assault.

An ear retching screech filled the air before it was answered by several other high pitched painful cries. Shooting up from the trees like large silver bullets, only to unfurl silver thin wings with razor sharp edges, were these horrifying half women half bird hybrids.

"Harpies!" James yelled reaching for his sword.

Emma was going to reach for her axe when something hard barrelled into her. She went crashing onto her back and the griffon squawked losing altitude and flapping his wings frantically to compensate. Emma instinctively held on tight with her legs and used her hands to push away the heavy weight on top of her.

A woman with a sharp nose and animalistic pointed teeth screeched in her face as her shoulder length greasy purple hair blew back in the wind. Instead of a woman's body there was only the feel of feathers and sharp claws that seemed to be trying to rake out Emmas guts. She was thankful for the armour now. The Harpy lunged at her trying to tear out her throat but Emma held her off. Her silver wings beat frantically taking the place of the harpies none existent arms as they tried to swing at Emma.

Emma yelled in her face but the slit like eyes didn't even flinch. The harpy's eyes seemed to literally be on fire behind the lids. Emma could feel her head going mad trying to logically absorb the sight. Her grip weakened slightly. Di'ner jerked down with a shriek of pain as another harpy tore at his wing. The harpy broke away as a flying monkey latched onto her neck pulling up sharply.

Di'ner's sudden jerk brought Emma back to her senses. She managed to get one hand free long enough to punch the deformity in the face snapping the harpy's jaw to the left. Di'ner gave another cry as another harpy raked her vicious talons across his other wing and with a mournful cry he frantically heaved and shifted caring more about his self preservation now than Emma on his back. His frantic heaving managed to dislodge both the purple haired harpy and Emma. She felt a moment of panic as there was nothing but the sensation of falling for a split second before she managed to grab the leather fastenings of the saddle bag. She can't believe she actually used to ride mechanical bulls for fun.

"Emma!"

She couldn't tell who it was that called out the warning but she barely managed to swing out of the way as a green haired harpy pile-dived into the griffons back. An alarming crack was heard before the griffon arched gracefully his neck extending in agony before his wings stopped their frantic fight and he dropping like a stone from the sky.

The green haired harpy cackled in victory and kicked at Emma's head. The green haired harpy sneered at her and let out a vicious cry. She seemed content to take off and let Emma fall to her doom. Emma lunged grabbing onto the harpy's wing in a blind panic. The harpy squawked as her flight was impeded and she began to fall with Emma and the griffon.

Emma panicked and used her legs to hold onto the harpy as she fell. Her plan was to latch onto the green haired harpy but her hand had become tangled in the fastenings of the saddle bag. Emma could feel blood running down her face as the harpy's sharp teeth and wings beat at her unprotected head. She worked frantically to free her hand.

There was a loud crash as they suddenly plunged through the roof of the forest. Emma could hear the griffon hitting and breaking tree branches underneath them clearing the way to the ground. The harpy was trying to fly away but Emma hung on tightly with her legs. Her hand finally came free and she clumsily tied the harpy's talon to the saddle before letting her go. The harpy pulled up but wasn't strong enough and there was a loud crack as all three of them hit the floor.

Emma was sent tumbling away in a furious roll before she finally came to a stop several feet away from the other two. She lay on her side groaning and unable to move. She just wanted to lie there and have the others come find her when the battle was finished. Blood dripped into the soil underneath her as she stared at the many tiny cuts the birds had made on her hand. She had to get up. She had to save Henry. She rolled onto her belly and pushed herself up to her knees.

Clearly Di'ner was dead. His back was bent at an odd angle and his chest had completely caved in. Emma saw movement from underneath him and she struggled to her feet. Nothing felt broken thank god. She could see the harpy trying to scramble away from the griffons body. One off her wings looked crushed and bent at an odd angle and the foot still tied to the saddle dragged uselessly behind her.

Emma staggered over and watched as the harpy tried to crawl away and free itself. Emma retrieved her axe from the saddle and stood over her. The woman like face had enough time to shrilly screech with her mad eyes before Emma brought the axe down with a vicious 'thunk' on her head cleaving it in two like a water melon. The body shuddered before flopping down restlessly.

"I'm sorry," she said patting the griffon's broken neck and retrieving her other axe from his corpse.

She turned and saw a large dark temple not that far up ahead. There was a half hidden road layered with weeds that led up to the many steps of the open temple. Most of the bricks were broken and uneven as they were strangled by the foliage. It made the already unsteady Emma trip but she narrowed her eyes and continued on. The only thing that stood between her and Henry was-

"Well now, Ms Swan, does this not bring back memories of the last time we met on a private road?" Azzeazal gave her a snarling smile as he tossed off his dark cloak. It fluttered like a black flag into the shadows of the forest where a hundred desperate hungry eyes leered out from the dark.

Emma drew her other axe and charged. _Hold on Henry, I'm coming._

XxXx

Azzeazal met her half way loping towards her on all fours like a dog. Her stomach froze as the alien movements crystallised into the memory of the werewolf she had fought long ago. She brought up her axe in a deadly forward arc but like mercury Azzeazal ducked and leapt at her without breaking his stride. He crashed into her chest sending her flying backwards to skid to a halt further back from the temple.

Her trail left a broken path of weeds and newly freed brick that lay crooked on the landscape. Azzeazal snarled his shirt burst revealing patches of thick fur through the material. He was visibly trying to get a hold of himself and straighten up to two legs instead of all fours.

"What's a matter?" Emma sneered getting back to her feet. Her chest still burned from the impact and her breathing had to be kept shallow. "You finally seeing yourself for the animal I always thought you were?"

"Shut up!" Azzeazal growled fumbling with his sword his hands remained curled like claws and un-cooperating with him. "I am not an animal!"

"Isn't that what Maleficent called you when she gave you your new leash?" Emma sneered bring her axes up and ready. "Now be a nice doggy and heel."

"You know nothing!" Azzeazal roared his perfect face twisted into an animal like snarl. He finally grabbed a hold of his sword and charged Emma trying to bring his sword down on her head. She stepped to the side using one axe to bat the sword down and the other to retaliate with an attempted beheading herself.

The sword clattered from Azzeazal's weak grip but he managed to avoid the second axe blow as he jumped away. His body had none of the finesse or grace that Emma remembered from the man that had humiliated her in the training room nearly a lifetime ago.

"You cost me everything! My Queen! My Kingdom! My body!" Azzeazal roared crouching and giving a howl that seemed to come from the very depths of him. "I will destroy you! You are nothing but a whore!"

"And you're nothing but a mangy dog!" Emma snarled back going on the attack with double strikes that had Azzeazal contorting unnaturally trying to avoid them. He finally got under her guard and raked his claws across her back tearing her new coat to pieces. She turned swiftly and hit him. He was too close for the blade but the shaft of the axe drove painfully into the side of his ribs.

"If I'm a dog," Azzeazal growled taking the below to the ribs and surging straight up against Emma slamming her back into a tree. He pulled her forward only to turn and slam her face first into the tree again using his heavy weight to her pin her. A clawed hand ground the side of her face against the bark aggravating the many scratches still bleeding from the harpies and the crow attack. The strength in the hand was unbearable, it felt like he was trying to get her brains to pop out the top like tooth paste. "Then I shall settle out score by making you my bitch, whore!"

All around her she could hear panting and wails from different bests. There was also some human sounding cheering. Most of her vision was compromised as one eye was being shredded against the rough trunk of the tree and the other was misty with sweat and blood. She could barely make out a gaggle of horned devil like creatures that were grinning madly at her. She tried to control her breathing as her heart thundered in her chest. Azzeazal seemed unmovable no matter how much she struggled against him.

Emma felt his hot, wet breath in her hair as he panted, his whole body rubbing against her as she tried to get free. Her free hand scrabbled around for something to use since her other hand that still gripped an axe was pinned to the tree with a claw. She felt something hard and square in her pocket and she pulled out Mr Mills compass.

"I, am, not, a bitch!" Emma growled through clenched teeth lashing out and looping the chain of the compass around Azzeazal's neck. She gave a harsh jerked with all her desperate strength and he tumbled off of her to the side taking the compass with him.

She brought the axe around for a vicious killing blow when a club crashed into her side sending her reeling into the bushes. A troll snarled at her spit flying from his sharp teeth. He had a bone through his ugly snout like nose that crinkled as he leered at her. She rolled away as he was about to bring the club down on her head.

"The little whore is playing hero," Azzeazal growled standing back to compose himself. Emma looked around her as the darkness of the forest became solid nightmares. Gangs of trolls and devil like imps waved crude home made weapons as they jeered at her. Among them human's that looked more evil than the beasts surrounding them glared at her. They were dressed in an assortment of stolen and bloody armour. Most of it still had tears or cracks from the killing blows that took the life of their previous owners. Man sized cobras with arms that ended in sharp claws hissed at her and she could hear vicious growling lost in the middle of the throng.

"Aren't you happy whore?" Azzeazal sneered. "We've finally found a group large enough to satisfy you and they all want a piece."

An imp lunged at her and she caught him in the ribs with her axe. Another one jumped at her face and latched onto the arm she used to block him with. He bit deeply denting her bracer and ruining her coat sleeve. Some grabbed her from behind but she stumbled forward shrugging out of her coat altogether to escape.

Emma swung her axe widely trying to create some space. She could hear Ignacio in her head as he taught her about fighting multiple opponents. _Two on one is tough, three on one is harder again, but my dear, anymore than that and abandon your pride and run. _She felt despair claw at her. She couldn't even count the amount of opponents around her. She might actually loose...

"Emma!"

Emma's head jerked up as there was a loud crash and a griffon came barrelling through the treetops to crash into a giant Cobra. A hairy cannonball leapt off the griffon's back midair and landed in front of Emma splitting a troll right down the middle.

"Stay away from my daughter!" Snow yelled striking down any villain in reach. Her sword was a glint of metal as it struck down like a lightning bolt wielded by a vengeful goddess.

"What the hell are you waiting for dye job, for me to propose?" Grumpy snapped at her as he stood up from his crouch troll blood dripping from his axe. He turned and drove the axe into the ribs of a charging man. The force knocked the man into another troll taking them both down.

Emma didn't have a witty comeback. She was too happy and relieved. She kicked an imp in the face and set her back against Grumpy's to continue the fight. Three more loud crashes where heard as Regina, Ignacio and James broke through the trees. They came from different sides and the sight of their shining armour and powerful griffons panicked the evil creatures that were used to preying on vulnerable prey and losing when they went up against heroes,

"Army attack!" James ordered blowing his horn.

The creatures heard the horn and the command and broke, running away. A few particularly vicious and evil beasts stayed. "To the temple! Clear the way!" James yelled pointing with his sword as he fought his way through a group of men that had ganged up to take him down.

Emma felt exhilarated and nearly unstoppable. The way to the temple seemed clearer than ever despite the few hold outs. She growled as she spotted Azzeazal running away. She took off after him without thinking. He wasn't going to get another chance to hurt Henry.

Azzeazal ran off the broken road and deeper into the forest. He was still running like a man which was the only reason Emma managed to catch up. They passed Di'ner's body and she snatched up a thick tree branch near it without faltering and threw it at the back of Azzeazal's head. Azzeazal went down sprawling in the dirt. Emma didn't even pause as she raised her axe and used a fallen tree trunk to launch herself into the air.

Azzeazal scrabbled away blindly but couldn't get free completely. Emma's axe tore into the muscle of his thigh and she couldn't tear it free. It was only Azzeazal's animal reflexes that stopped her from severing the leg completely. She kicked him in the face and he rolled away to regroup taking her axe with him.

Emma grabbed a branch from the fallen tree trunk. With a vicious kick she severed the branch the rest of the way from the trunk and turned to face Azzeazal with a growl of her own. Azzeazal howled and tore the axe from his flesh causing blood to steadily pour down his thigh. He lent heavily on his uninjured leg but unluckily for Emma that pain seemed to give his mind clarity.

He glared up at her fully in control with none of the animal rage in his eyes. His two hands wrapped around the handle of her axe as his fur covered arms rippled with muscle. He was content to let her come to him. "You were a lucky little whore," he sneered, his voice tight with pain as he tried to attain his normal oily hiss "I picked you up from the dirt and brought you to my Queen. You're lucky, ungrateful and delusional. The whore," Azzeazal gave an amused little sneer "can't be a hero."

"Shut up," Emma snarled her hands trembling with rage. No one called her a whore.

"What is it they call you now?" Azzeazal cocked his head to the side taking in her shining armour and her rage. "Princess? Has the bitch finally convinced people she's something more? We both know you aren't, and more than that, Henry will know that his princess hero is just a lie when I-"

"-leave Henry out of this!" Emma raged running at Azzeazal and lashing out wildly. Azzeazal slapped her branch down and struck her with the end of the shaft. She crumpled to the ground and he raised the axe overhead his beady eyes glimmering above his pointed cheekbones. She kicked out at both his legs and he buckled kneeling before her. He still tried to bring down the axe but she sat up and head butted him breaking his nose. He let go of the axe with a cry recoiling back and she was on top of him.

"I am not a bitch!" She screamed as she punched him. "Or a princess!" she hit him again using both her hands to pulverise his pretty smarmy face. "Or a hero!" She kept punching him long after he went limp. "And I am not a whore!" She dragged him up by the compass still around his neck, to scream in his face. "I'm a mother!" She yelled finally giving one last bone cracking punch and Azzeazal's face caved in on itself in a bloody unrecognisable mess.

She lurched to her feet her hand bloody and numb but they could still hold her axe when she found it a little way off. She could hear Regina calling for her up a head. Her grip tightened on the axe. "Are you okay?" Regina asked cupping her bloody cheek. She nodded, she couldn't give into the soft concern in Regina's eyes because if she did she might start crying and never stop.

"We have to get to the temple quickly!" James said running up beside them. "They're regrouping and pretty soon they're going to figure out that I lied about the army and that there's only the six of us."

"I think they're already figured it out," Snow said nodding down the broken path. A sly troll and human worked together to cajole and beat the retreating beasts back into formation. Most of the smarter minions were starting to realise that the army James had yelled for had yet to come bearing down on them and where slowing down.

"Go to the temple," Ignacio said grabbing the reins of the griffons. He flicked the blood of his sword and stood on the path lining the fearsome animals up. "I shall make sure you have time to get there."

"Fruity ass isn't the only one who can be a goddamn hero," Grumpy growled shoving his axe at Emma and taking out his pickaxe. He went to stand beside Ignacio.

"Grumpy!" Snow said and they looked at each other. They seemed to be having a private conversation between them. Grumpy nodded.

"More trouble than you're worth Snow," Grumpy growled. "Square jaw, you take care of my axe, I'm only lending it to ya so I don't ruin it on this filth."

"Will do," Emma nodded and let Regina pull her away. She allowed herself one last look back. Ignacio and Grumpy were running into the advancing horde striking now before they got completely organised. The griffons followed them with sharp bellows and Emma regretted ever calling them bad names. She turned back and started running to the temple.

She was going to rescue her son.

XxXx

"EMMA!"

Henry cried out as she burst into the room. He was standing on some sort of black and white alter. Regina had tried to tell her to be careful but she was too impatient and had run the length of the dull black room when she saw Henry from the door.

"Not so fast Ms Swan," Maleficent blasted her back but the armour absorbed most of the magic. She looked like hell. Her curls were all over the place and her dress was in tatters with blood stains all over it.

"Maleficent," Emma growled as two more people came to stand at the witches side.

"Rumplestilskin," Snow hissed beside her.

"Teacher," Regina's eyes narrowed as she looked at the old woman. She glared at Maleficent. "For her, you have betrayed me?"

"Henry is the way to give us all a chance at a happy ever after," Maleficent said grimly "isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Do not dare say that you were doing this for me!" Regina yelled and the walls shuddered. "You killed my father!"

"It's no use trying to get the forest to break through this stone," Baba Yaga's voice was a razor like rasp as she sneered. "You always where predictable."

"Even Hell itself has rejected you old woman," Regina snapped "I shall do a better job sending you there this time."

"Now now, perhaps a deal can be struck?" Rumble smiled his lanky figure dancing towards them.

"To hell with you and your deals!" Snow snapped throwing a dagger at his head. He caught it easily with a surprising amount of speed and scowled at them.

"Get out of my way," Emma said to all of them going forward "or I'll cut you down."

"Foolish girl, it is not bravery when you are truly ignorant of what you face," Baba sneered at her turning her back on them all. "Dispose of these pests while I prepare the boy, there is not much time left."

"Emma!" Henry yelled struggling against his chains.

"Henry!" Emma ran forward.

Rumplestiltskin made as if to stop her but Snow tackled him and James came at him from the other side forcing him to let her go. Maleficent didn't even try to move towards Emma as Regina hurled a cone of fire at her forcing her to erect a shield to defend herself. Emma leapt bring her axe in a wide arch at the back of the old woman. A foot away she hit what felt like a solid wall and the air around the old woman shimmered.

Baba Yaga only spared her a condescending glance as she opened two thick books. Emma recognised the Fairy Tale Anthology but the other blank purple book was new to her. Baba started to mutter shaking a rattle over the books and the altar. Emma hammered again at the invisible wall only to have her axes bounce off vibrating with the force.

"You son of a bitch!" Emma snapped continuing to hit at the wall because she had no idea what else she could do. "I'm going to tear you to pieces you ugly old crone!"

The old woman turned lashing out with her hunched over form and Emma felt like she had been struck by a wrecking ball. Her armour glowed white hot for a second and she spluttered.

"I will not have a bug talk to me like that," the old woman's eyes flashed as her knuckles brushed the floor as she made her way to where Emma had fallen. "Ugly? You dare to insult me? I am the witch of all witches! Born in the fire of the creation of the world only to freeze it to its very core! I have a thousand faces and names all of which mean power! This very night I unlock the chains of destiny!" She grabbed Emma with a clawed hand and held her up with no effort. The sharp nails dug deep into her throat and she could feel blood running down her neck. She kicked and struggled but the old woman took no notice.

"Fuck you!" Emma spluttered her eyes nearly popping from the lack of oxygen.

The entire temple started to shake and the old woman looked back at the altar.

"It's time!" Rumplestiltskin cried out looking bloody as he leapt away from both James and Snow who stood before him baring his way to Henry.

Regina had finally got the upper hand and had Maleficent pressed against the wall with her staff across her throat. The entire room seemed to be flooding with light that came from everywhere. The books under Henry were frantically turning their pages on their own. The force and pressure in the room made their hair blow back. The rank smell of the dead deer around Yaga's shoulders assaulted Emma's nose. The chains holding Henry up broke and he crumbled to his knees on top of the books looking scared.

Baba Yaga turned back to Emma with a smirk. "I shall need one more thing from you whelp," the axes in her hand flew from her grasp. They spun until they landed directly in Henry's small chest knocking him to the floor out of sight behind the altar.

"Hhhhennryyy!" Emma screamed freeing herself with desperate strength as she rushed towards the altar.

"I think not-!" Baba held out her hand but Regina was there suddenly twisting her arm up and away. Regina physically lashed out, acting like a rash fool, and broke her old teacher's nose.

Emma's whole world narrowed down to the black and white alter. She skidded over the top knocking the books off as she collapsed beside Henry. He was so small. He lay on his side with Emma's axe further off its blade gleaming bloodily like an accusation. He was too still.

"Henry, Henry you can't be dead," Emma sobbed reaching down to cradle him. He didn't move. He was so tiny in her arms. "Henry, I crossed one world and flew half way across another to come find you," she let out an incredulous sob. "You can't be dead. Not now, not when I haven't told you how much I love you," she rolled him over and the last axe fell limply from him clattering to the ground. He looked deathly pale. "I love you Henry," she sobbed her face a hot and ugly red mess but she didn't care. She cradled his tiny body to her and cried. "You're my son..."

XxXx

"...mma,"

Emma pushed him away as Henry pulled down the collar of his shirt to show her the mythril vest that he always wore under his clothes. She gasped in awe and clutched his now breathing body to her feeling alive and unbelievably thankful. "How? Why?"

"That really hurt," Henry said with tears in his eyes as he rubbed his chest. "I hit my head off the floor when I fell."

"You're okay? You're okay!" Emma laughed still holding him as the books next to her frantically flipped through their pages before the Fairy Tale Anthology stopped. The words began to write themselves and Emma watched amazed as a picture of Henry and herself was drawn on the previously blank page as the words filled themselves in.

"Emma..." Henry breathed just as surprised as she was.

The pressure and wind in the room intensified even further and seemed to be swirl around them. She stood up dragging Henry close to her as specs of gold started to shimmer in a thin whirling wall of a tornado.

"It's okay," she promised him holding on tightly. She wasn't letting him go ever again.

The books were caught up in the tornado swirling furiously around them their pages opened wide. Emma saw Henry and herself now standing in the glowing golden tornado clutching each other. She looked and through the wall she saw Rumplestiltskin slipping out the door while Snow and James looked as if they were calling frantically to her. Their clothes were being whipped to and fro and it looked like they were finding it hard to stand their ground. Maleficent was nowhere to be found and Regina and Baba Yaga were still fighting.

Baba finally got free and threw Regina behind her. Buffeted by the wind Regina raised her hands but looked like it was all she could do to hold on. Bava's hunched form clawed its way towards them with a dark hunger in her eyes. She was slowly gaining ground even as the howling of the tornado picked up.

Both books came to a stop in front of Emma's face as the wind continued to rage. The book with the purple pages was blank to them but the other book showed pictures of Henry and her holding both books opened between them. The pages flipped to show another picture of them tearing the books. It flipped back and forth between these two images insistently.

"I think we have to rip them," Henry called out over the howling wind.

The tornado shuddered and the books dropped to the floor as Baba Yaga's twisted face hovered right in front of them. Her claw like hands hammered at the wind as she tried to force her way through. The dead deer on her shoulders flew off leaving a smear of blood on her long grey hair that whipped about her face like the mane of some terrible blood soaked beast. Inch by agonising inch her snarling face seemed to be pressing closer to them.

"Hurry!" Henry urged.

Emma snatched up the books and gave him one half of each. Baba Yaga looked like she was soundlessly squealing.

"Ready?" Henry yelled.

"Now!" Emma nodded and they tore the books. She gave one last desperate look past the evil old woman to Regina. She had her arm outstretched trying to reach them both. She looked so sad as a blinding flash of familiar white light filled their vision.

XxXx

Regina walked through her castle her dark boots crunching over the vines that had over taken her home. The trouble about using magic to control plants was the exponential growth they had as the magic worked its way out of their system. The vines had grown over the furniture and the dead bodies of both sides leaving only oddly shaped foliage decorated with tiny white flowers to mark them. Her castle was mostly rubble and silence.

When she had emerged from the temple she had found Ignacio and the dwarf leaning against each other surrounded by bodies. After Ignacio had been healed she sent him to supervise her army at Cuchulainn's pass; they had won the fight against the giants but sustained heavily casualties. He would see to the men and begin the march home once it was reasonable. But without her army and servants the castle was just a hallow husk. Like before.

She walked to her study because she couldn't face the emptiness of her parlour. At least the plants had covered most of the bloodstains. She couldn't bear to see the place where her father died. Flowers covered the walls as trees and bushes reclaimed her land. When she was stronger she would see to putting things back in order. Maybe.

Regina pushed open the door to her study to see that all the tall windows had all been smashed. Sunlight streamed into the room casting light on the lounging carpet of foliage. It was like stepping into both a new and old world. All around her colour and life bloomed over the dead and dark of before. She had no idea what to do now.

With a soft sigh Regina pulled out her high backed chair at her golden desk and sat down after brushing away the stray leaves. She sat her hands on top of the desk and looked blankly at the vines that dangled from the ceiling. Some of the vines were growing out of the dragon skeleton looking like odd green guts. She doubted any other her things survived. She picked up a hand mirror having to fight to untangle it from the tight hug the forest had on it. To her surprise the glass had not been cracked. How careless of Maleficent.

"Mirror..." Regina called. Her voice sounded small in the wide open room. The hand mirror didn't even shimmer. She cleared her throat "...Seymour?" She asked feeling foolish. But even the mirror had left her.

"I see that my guards forgot one."

Regina looked up to see Maleficent leaning against the doorway. She was dressed in a simple pink gown that looked like it belonged to a merchant's daughter. It was as close to a peasant dress as Regina had seen her wear in years.

"What do you want?" Regina asked tiredly. She didn't even have the energy to fight. It seemed so pointless now. She didn't have anything to fight for.

"I really did do it because I thought it could give you what you wanted," Maleficent said stepping into the room her hands behind her back. "I just wanted to repay the debt that I owed you. I never meant to kill your father, he was a decent man."

"You took part because you could never stand up to our teacher," Regina glared. Maleficent looked away, the scratches on her face still hadn't healed. Baba Yaga always did find a way to leave her mark on Maleficent.

"And you were too dead inside to protect me this time," Maleficent said sounding bitter but not angry. Regina snorted, of all the things she regretted since waking up to a world without Emma and Henry, saving Maleficent all those years ago from Baba Yaga's abuse had been in her top ten. She should have just left her to rot. "But I thought, if she was right, if it did work out, then you could actually wake up from the curse..."

"...I could save you?" Regina sneered. They rarely did anything without a selfish motive. Maleficent flushed and looked away.

"I wanted us to save each other," she whispered at last as her curls dangled down to hide her face.

"I hate you," Regina said. Her words were simple but the loathing, spite and loss in her voice was very complex.

"I know," Maleficent flinched having the gall to look stricken in Regina's presence. Anger was slowly bubbling up working its way through the numbness and the loss. She better relish the feeling before she was again locked away in her hollow prison. She stood up leaning over the desk.

Maleficent sensed the change in her, of course she would, Maleficent had been with her just as long as her fa-. She knew her just as well as Em-. They had been together almost all their lives. Maleficent's head jerked up and the fear in her eyes was well placed. She acted quickly as if that could save her. It never had before...

The flash of red caught Regina's attention as Maleficent sat the ruby slippers on her desk. Regina fell down stunned. She took them into her hands with wonder. She had raided Emma's tent after she had got back to camp and had given the slippers up for lost when she couldn't find them. "Where...?"

"They were in the forest," Maleficent explained "I caught a glimpse of them as I was running away."

Regina looked at her with piercing eyes. Those slippers were legendary, Maleficent could have used them to wreck even more havoc or simply to make her life easier. "Why...?"

"...because they can take you anywhere if you know the way," Maleficent said her eyes soft "I've already took so much from you, I was hoping this would allow you to get something back."

"I don't know where they are..." Regina said softly lifting the shoes her voice heavy. The ruby slippers gleamed in the sunlight. The possibilities...they could be in a million places, she would search them all.

Maleficent approached the desk and sat something solid down. The leaves bent around it and as Maleficent took her hand away Regina recognised her father's compass. "I found it around the neck of Azzeazal, Mr Mills must have given it to her before...you once told me he believed it took him to where he needed to go rather than where he wanted..."

"It's just a silly story..." Regina said softly eyeing the compass. "There's no magic in it at all."

"What if there is?" Maleficent said softly stepping back.

Regina looked up at Maleficent wonderingly. Maleficent gave her a small smile. "What would Emma do?" She prompted.

Emma was a rash fool that trusted too much. She was headstrong and ran into things without thinking...Regina stood and draped the compass around her neck while slipping on the ruby slippers. "This does not absolve you," she said sharply to Maleficent.

Maleficent who had been smiling stopped and nodded seriously "I know..."

Regina nodded and gripped the compass until her knuckles turned white. She closed her eyes, what had Emma said when she had given her the slippers...? "There's no place like home..."

XxXx

Emma sat with Henry tucked up in blankets as the canned laughter issued from her tv. He had been sleeping horribly the last couple of nights plagued with nightmares about Mr Mills and other things he wouldn't tell her about. The forced comedy of late night television and Emma at his side was the only thing that calmed him enough for sleep these last few nights.

They had been back three days and were still in the process of adjusting. First thing on Emma's list was to actually adopt Henry. The authorities and the court would be such a headache but there was no way she was being kept apart from him now. Her spare bedroom was now unofficially his and they were going to decorate it tomorrow.

She slipped out from beside the warm nest Henry made in the bundle of blankets. He was sound asleep and she would have to carry him to his bed. She stretched and headed to the bathroom first to brush her teeth. The light clicked on and she tiredly put the paste on her brush. She looked up at the small cabinet that would have to be lowered for Henry. Her scarred reflection in the mirrored door stared back at her and she peered closely at it trying to see past her tired eyes.

"Seymour...?" She whispered again but the still mirror didn't answer. She sighed and brushed her teeth.

"_Emma we're back!" Henry had smiled triumphantly at her. _

"_You're okay right?" Emma had asked him checking to make sure._

"_Just a few bumps and bruises," he had grinned "I knew you would come for me!"_

_Emma remembered how big her smile felt before it wobbled and crashed as she started to cry. _

"_Emma! What's wrong?" Henry had looked really alarmed as she fell to her knees covering her face with her still bloody hands. "Aren't you happy we're back...?"_

"Regina..." she sighed softly. She should have kissed her. She should have done it at least once then she wouldn't be torturing herself wondering...

There was a loud crash from the living room and Emma spat out the toothpaste as she leapt into the living room. Henry had been jerked from sleep and was pressed up against the arm of the sofa in surprise. But he was okay, he was still alive-

"Emma."

Emma dropped her toothbrush as Regina stood looking at her gripping the compass Mr Mills had given her. She looked happy but unsure "...Emma...?"

Emma flew into her arms and despite being given no warning Regina was perfectly able to keep up with her. Emma didn't even hesitate as she pressed against Regina and brought their mouths together. She didn't care that froth from the toothpaste was still clinging to one side of her mouth. Regina pulled away to wipe away the foam with a roll of her eyes before kissing her again and again.

Emma didn't need a book to tell her they all lived happily ever after. She could tell that from the kiss.

XxXx

A/N: and we're finally finished! Thanks to all of you that came this far. I really hoped you liked it, your support of this story has been amazing and probably the reason it got finished so fast. Let me know what worked and didn't work for you so I can write better stories in the future. You guys have been pretty fantastic about that so far.

There's a few things I wanted to explain or expand on, like Maleficent and Regina's fight, but couldn't due to those scenes either being clumsy exposition or slowing the pacing right down. I'll probably add a few "behind the scenes" and "deleted" drabbles to clear those up, and get it out of my system but that won't be for a while yet. I might just save it for a new story.

All's that's left to say is thanks again and I hope you enjoy my other stories.


	23. Chapter 23

XxXx

"So she gave you the slippers?" Emma asked. They were lying in her bed in her tiny apartment, Regina's furs and finery was scattered across the floor along with Emma's cheap t-shirt and jeans. Her bra had given Regina pause before she tore it off impatiently. Emma dragged the sheet over them just encase Henry came in. She would really have to get a lock on her bedroom door.

"Hhhmm," Regina affirmed. Already the happy and relaxed expression she had worn all through sex-aw crap, Emma was going to have to start calling it 'love making' now wasn't she?- had faded. Emma could hardly believe Regina was here in Boston. With her. She reached down and tangled her fingers in the former Queens.

"I still hate her," Emma said as they both stared up at her ceiling. The only light in the room came through her blinds from a flickering street lamp casting a soft orange glow over their bodies.

"It does not make up for what she has done," Regina agreed but she sounded subdued.

"You are not seriously thinking about forgiving her are you?" Emma sat up incredulous. "She killed your father, kidnapped Henry and-"

"I am more than aware of her latest crimes," Regina glared. "And of her pasts ones as well. Maleficent and I share history which makes her betray more sharp...and easier to forgive."

"I don't get it," Emma flopped back onto her back angry. Regina rolled onto her side and pushed Emma's newly re-dyed blonde hair out of her face.

"Maleficent was also a princess, but she possessed none of your virtues," Emma snorted at the idea she had 'virtues' but let Regina continue. "She was born different. Her skin was a sickly green with jet black horns and no hair. The results of the King and Queens many fornications, mixed with questionable magic. They were as close to evil as you could be in my world and still be considered 'good.' You've already seen firsthand the arbitrary and indiscriminate my binary world is-anyway, they locked her away in a tower for most of her life. She spun and sowed and lived like a servant until Baba Yaga came for her."

"Why did Yaga come for her?" Emma asked drawn into the story against her wishes.

"Why does Yaga do anything? Power. Maleficent was harbouring magic and Baba knew the King and Queen's secrets so they gladly gave their child to Yaga," Regina paused to take a deep breath. Her eyes stared off to the side into another world and Emma watched her carefully. "My mother sent me to Yaga every summer. They had made a magical contract, I still do not know the full of extent of it even now but part of it was that Yaga train me in the areas that my mother lacked. I was the only person Maleficent had ever seen outside of Baba and she thought we were friends. The contract forbade Yaga from permanently damaging me but with Baba's twisted mind it was no trouble for her to be creative in her torture. Now that I can feel again," Regina gave Emma a brief tender smile before it faded and she looked away again, "I still feel the shame of what I did."

Regina swallowed and lay back on the bed. Emma followed her, her curiosity absolutely starving now. "I studied and practiced until I could perfect an illusion charm. I made Maleficent pretty, it was the first time she had ever felt normal and she was so grateful...but I didn't do it for her. I had seen the way Baba looked at me, felt her eyes all over my body. I offered Maleficent as an alternative. Now she was pretty and what's more, Baba was not bound by a contract and so could enjoy her unrestricted. What Maleficent thought was a gift turned out to be the worst curse to be cast on her yet. Baba was so amused, she knew my true reasons, I was hardly a master manipulator. She took Maleficent and claimed her as a pet. Like I said she was twisted with a dark sense of humour. Baba left her alone in the summer months when I was with them. It made Maleficent's fondness for me grow because I was a friend and a respite from the abuse. She never questioned it which was foolish. Why would Baba care if I saw them or not? But Maleficent came to associate my arrival with the positive things in her life and my departure...it would have made the reclaiming sweeter I imagine."

"So why didn't Yaga just transform Maleficent herself if she wanted a toy?" Emma asked with a frown.

"A frivolous glamour spell? Baba wouldn't have wasted her time on that. My mother was vain-those were the first spells she learned and passed on to me but Yaga only wanted power. It would not have been a great hardship for her to learn and use but why would she do that when it would have made Maleficent even slightly happy? And by the time Maleficent was becoming a woman I was already visiting them. She could just as easily taken me," Regina's voice was tight with a controlled rage. Years of repressed emotions fought it out in her tone. "I would have been just as helpless against her."

"I understand what its like to be that kind of helpless," Emma hurried on because she didn't want to think about those dark days. "But she gave my son to that monster."

"And I gave her to that very same monster," Regina countered. "I found laid out like a present the first night of my twenty first summer. She was like a broken doll-Baba had refused to heal her and for the entire year she-I was so angry and ashamed. By that stage pity and guilt had bonded me as Maleficent's only friend and I killed Baba."

"What?" Emma was both shocked and confused. That old woman seemed very much alive when she was kicking Emma's ass.

"I killed her as much as something like her could be killed. I poisoned her food and when she was weak enough I used the forest to tear her apart. It was the first time I had ever used that spell and afterwards I looked just as bad as Maleficent. Yaga fought back but her arrogance allowed her to be surprised after all she expected nothing so grand as a spell designed to control nature itself from the pathetic girl that hid behind her weaker friend. I freed us both from Yaga but her memory still retained its hold over Maleficent and I wonder even now, if she has ever recovered."

"Things like that leave their mark," Emma said darkly.

"You where hurt like she was," Regina said and it wasn't a question. "I would kill the perpetrator if you only named them."

"Maybe someday I'll tell you," Emma promised kissing Regina's forehead.

Regina sighed and pulled Emma closer to her. "I cannot forgive Maleficent but I also know how powerless she is against Baba Yaga and how even then she tried to help me-I still can't hate her completely. Maybe now my guilt can at last be relieved."

Emma frowned into Regina's shoulder. Even now forgiving Maleficent seemed hard. Because of her Emma had almost died fighting werewolves, almost fallen to her death rescuing Henry from a Pied Piper, nearly been trampled by a carriage, had had her son kidnapped and given to monsters causing her to fight an army to get him back and worst of all, she was the reason Mr Mills was dead. But Maleficent was also the reason she had met Henry, Regina and her parents. She was the reason Regina was here with her now.

"I guess it doesn't matter now," Emma said at last still conflicted, "there's no way we'll ever see her again. You said the shoes stopped working and we don't have any of the books."

"Crossing the worlds is almost impossible. The books where the only thing with enough power to bring anyone across but the way they work are mysterious and I doubt that they would work for Maleficent. The shoes were the only other thing powerful enough to cross but without magic they are nothing more than ugly footwear. They stopped working because there is no magic in this world. There is no way for Maleficent to come here or for me to go home," Regina said softly "...but I have come to regard you and Henry as my home."

Emma felt a lump of pure emotion in her throat. She really wasn't used to people saying such wonderful things to her. She pushed passed it with a grin and sat up to straddle Regina's hips. "You know this world is totally without magic. In a second? I'm gonna make you see stars with your eyes closed."

"That would be a magical feat," Regina grinned at her before pulling Emma down into a kiss.

XxXx

The bright light swallowed up her daughter and grandson and before Snow could even cry out she was knocked off her feet by a blast. She hit something solid and flopped down on to her face barely managing to avoid breaking her nose. The pain in her eyes was intense as they tried to readjust. She eventually had to tightly shut her eyes as the world felt like it was spinning around her.

"-ow! Snow!" A heavy hand landed on her arm and rolled her over. A familiar calloused hand cupped her cheek and she opened her eyes to see her husband kneeling over her.

He was mercifully blocking most of the light and she smiled at him instinctively. He returned her smile still looking handsome despite the blood running down the side of his face. And then she remembered. She sat up quickly and lurched to her feet nearly falling on top of James. Regina was still trying to shake off the blast at the other end of the temple but Snow only had eyes for the empty alter. "She's gone..." Snow's voice broke.

"They both are," James stood up with great effort and reached out to her.

Snow stepped back, not because she didn't want her husbands comfort, but she knew if he touched her right now, if she gave in and collapsed against him like she wanted to-she would never get up again.

"We have to see to the others," Snow staggered away towards the door, "there's still a battle going on outside, we can't sit about and-"

"Snow," James voice was soft and broken and she could hear the plea in his voice that she longed to answer.

"James," she answered just as brittle. She had fallen in love with his expressive eyes and she couldn't look at them.

"Okay, let's go," James' voice was firmer as he drew himself up, "we'll see to the others."

She couldn't refuse him as he laced their fingers together and they left the temple holding hands. The dark army that had chased them up the steps to the temple was no were to be seen. Only corpse of twisted men and evil creatures where left broken and bloody on the steps and in the forest. They limped down the stairs and James steadied her as she slipped on trolls blood.

"How did that happen?" James asked wonderingly. Snow followed his gaze to see a huge Minotaur's body dangling across several trees. Its blood still dripped in a sluggish after thought to stain the soil below it.

"That, I am amazed to say, is what you get for calling into question the bedding habits of dwarfs," Snow looked to see Regina's weapon master slumped against a giant root clutching at the arrow in his stomach. He gave them both a deep nod. "You will forgive me if I do not stand on ceremony. The ability to stand has been beyond me for some time. Might I assume that since you are alive and the dastardly fellow that was about to run me through fled in a panic, that we have won?"

"Where's Grumpy?" Snow demanded ignoring him completely.

"Ah, I see where your daughter inherited her manners from. The dwarf, last I saw, was chasing down an Orc that had the audacity and not to mention the hypocrisy to call him short," the weapon master groaned.

"We'll send a healer to you as soon as the battle is over," James promised him. Snow shot him a sideways look but didn't argue when he squeezed her fingers. He was always more forgiving than she was. The weapons master might have helped them but he was still one of Regina's men and therefore her problem.

"Then the healer should be arriving momentarily. The creatures panicked and fled not long ago. The entire army broke and yours did not waste a moment chasing them off," the weapons master coughed into his gauntlet. He pulled his hand away to find it bloody, "that is not a good sign."

"You'll live, you fruit."

"Grumpy!" Snow called happy to see him.

The dwarf was limping up the rough road using a spear for a walking stick. Behind him a healer in a white dress was hurrying after him. A squad of knights followed leading horses as the ground was too perilous to risk riding.

"Your highness's!" Uldric, their knight-captain called throwing the reins to his Page as he hurried the rest of the way. He gave them a formal bow and raised his visor. "It is my great honour to bring you amazing tidings and salutations-"

"-The other army broke-we won," Grumpy growled. He never did have time for fancy words.

"-Ah, yes," Uldric glared at Grumpy but gathered his dignity. "We where marshalling a force to come and bolster you when the Dwarf came. We are here to escort you back to the camp and offer you healing. We have extra horses for your grandson and daughter."

Snows face crumbled at the words and she squeezed James hand. Grumpy saw her expression and his own grizzled face frowned. "Where's the blonde?"

"Back in their own world I imagine," James cleared his throat.

"This is their world," Snow said sharply breaking away from him. Anger was better than tears. She roughly grabbed the reins of her horse and led it away. The knights scrambled to follow her. After they left the forest Snow wasted no time in mounting and riding back to the camp. She rode straight past Prince Thomas who's eager expression grew annoyed at her rudeness. She had half a mind to turn back and kick the little runt in the face as she passed.

"Get out!" She snapped at the waiting attendants in her tent. She didn't need them to undress her. She didn't need anyone except her little girl who-Snow threw her gauntlets to the ground. She wished she was in her palace, there was so much more fragile things to break which would have been much more satisfying. Instead she had to make do with the ceramic washing bowl and jug. The crash as it hit the floor was pleasant but not enough to sate her rage.

"There's a hand mirror in your drawer," James offered as he lent against the tent pole watching her.

Snow ripped the drawer off its runners and emptied its contents to the floor. The hand mirror fell out and she stomped on it with her booted foot until it made a validating crunch. It still wasn't enough. She turned on James and threw the drawer at him. He batted it away lightly and marched towards her. Good. She drew back her fist to punch him but he grabbed her hand. He wasn't fast enough to catch the other one and she wailed away at his torso until she was just sobbing against his chest. She buried her face in his shirt as he held her.

"She's gone...she's gone again...we've lost her..."

XxXx

James waited until Snow was exhausted. He put her to bed and gently tucked her in before he left. Emma was gone, so too was their grandson. He never got the chance to meet the boy but he had always wanted another male around to bond with. Not that he wouldn't have loved and doted on his daughter but he imagined that with Snow and Emma he would get a little sick of girls. He would have taught his grandson to be a great prince.

He would have got him into all sorts of trouble. Henry was his name, right? Not quite a name for a prince but James could live with it. He would live with it because his daughter and grandson were both alive and James would find them. It's what he does.

James flung open the tent Emma and Regina had used while they stayed at the camp. It was bare, hardly fit for a princess but his little girl wasn't an ordinary princess. She could weld axes like a lumber jack, with all the finesse of one two, James grinned at the comparison. He looked under the bed but didn't find anything. He pulled off the blankets despite there being no lumps. He threw the pillow to the ground and still found nothing.

His searching became more frenzied as he knocked over the simple table accidentally smashing the water jug. He searched the floor but there was nothing there. He began to dig a little in the packed dirt thinking that his girl was smart. His daughter would be clever enough not to leave them in plain view. Maybe she buried them to keep them safe.

But the bed was in the way. It was a small tent, if she was going to bury them then obviously it would have been under the bed. James grabbed the bed frame and threw it out the tent. It was a start and stop operation until he got so fed up he roughly kicked the bed, mattress and all, out the door. The tent nearly collapsed as he also took out one of the supports but it didn't matter because now he had excess to the dirt floor under the bed.

There! In the middle a mound of disturbed earth! He began to furiously dig not heed the pain in his hands as they cut against the sharp stone in the earth. His fingernails filled with dirt and he didn't let up even as they cracked and broke. The hole was getting deeper and deeper but there was still no sign of them.

"James..."

He shrugged off the soft touch to his shoulder.

"James."

He shoved the touch off more roughly this time. He was busy-he was going to find his little girl.

Arms came from underneath his armpits and wrapped around his chest pulling him away. He turned furious at being interrupted. Snow stared back at him unflinchingly, her eyes where soft with understanding and grief. He didn't want that, she shouldn't grieve because he was going to find her alls he needed was-

"-I can't find the shoes," his voice cracked. "If we find the shoes, we can go to her-we know where she is now-what she looks like-we can find her."

"James, Regina still has the ruby slippers-they're not here," Snow said. The understanding in her voice cut worse than a knife.

"She wasn't wearing them in the last battle- she must have left them here!" James argued "Emma must have got them off her and hid them-because-because..." he ran out of steam and allowed Snow to draw him into her embrace.

"She's gone..." James finally acknowledged.

"For now," Snow promised him. She kissed his head and they held each other tight.

XxXx

"Regina you cannot beat up children!" Emma snapped exasperated as she slammed the groceries on the counter. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation again.

"I hardly touched them," Regina scoffed reclining on Emma's threadbare sofa like she was back on her throne.

"You're not allowed to touch them at all! You're so goddamn lucky I have connections. What the hell would we do if you got arrested? You have no birth certificate and no green card- You don't exist in this world!" Emma

"And yet here I am!" Regina snapped "do you enjoy the role reversal? Me as your prisoner? At least when you were my captive I had the decency to try and seduce you."

"You cannot tell me we're not having enough sex," Emma rolled her eyes "my jaw is about to fall off."

"And yet you keep flapping it," Regina scowled at her "what am I to do all day? You at least had an entire castle and grounds to wonder freely."

"Until my guy comes through you can't leave, you have no I.D and know nothing about this world," Emma allowed herself a smug little smirk. "Sucks, doesn't it?" She sighed when Regina didn't look at all amused. "Besides the last time you went out you broke a man's nose, insulted my landlord and oh, yeah, hit children!"

"I was a Queen! Who is this wretch of a 'lord' to tell me that I owe him money for staying in your dwelling? And those children should not tease Henry. If I had my magic this world would be on bended knee right now! Honestly voting for your leaders? What a farce," Regina stood up agitated.

"Not the democracy argument again," Emma groaned. Regina could just not comprehend the voting system and Emma kind of cursed Henry for teaching her it. Not to mention how she wanted to move to the UK and usurp the Queen's throne once Henry told her that royalty did exist. Emma rubbed her forehead hoping to ease the tension before it turned into a full headache. "Look, we're on pretty shaky ground. Henry is only with me under probation, that social worker is a gossipy bitch, if she finds out your beating up kids that bully Henry she's going to take him away."

"Over my cold and withered corpse," Regina's eyes narrowed threateningly.

"As lovely as that image is," Emma sighed "that's not-"

"-The way this world works," Regina finished agitated "yes I know."

"Come on, we still have an hour before I have to go pick up Henry," Emma took Regina's hand. "We'll go to the park and you can tell me what skills being an unquestioned ruler has given you for the job market."

"I hate those stupid questions. Why do I need a job? I gave you everything you desired when you where my prisoner, surely you should do the same," Regina complained but put on Emma's coats anyway. "I have half a mind to leave you and seek my own fortune in this wasteland."

"You want me to say it don't you?" Emma rolled her eyes. Regina waited impatiently for her at the door and refused to move. "Fine. You can try to leave, but you will never escape me," Emma couldn't stop the smile on her face at Regina's satisfied expression. "Now come on, Henry will be waiting for us."

XxXx


End file.
